Author: LokMarg

Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that India is carefully monitoring the developments along its border areas including the construction of infrastructure by the Chinese side in the eastern Ladakh sector.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi made this comment in response to remarks by an American military commander that some of the defence infrastructures that China is creating near its border with India in Ladakh are “alarming”.

“India carefully monitors developments along our borders areas including construction of infrastructure by the Chinese side in the western sector as well as that been undertaken further in-depth areas,” he said while addressing a media briefing.

“The government is committed to and takes all adequate and appropriate measures to safeguard territorial integrity and sovereignty as the developments in recent years have clearly demonstrated,” Bagchi said.

He said the government of India has taken various measures in recent years to develop infrastructure along the border areas to not only meet India’s strategic and security requirements but also facilitate the economic developments of the areas.

On Wednesday, US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn, who is on a four-day visit to India talked about the infrastructure development by China along its borders with India in the Ladakh sector, and called the Chinese activities in that region “eye-opening”.

“As far as the current situation (in eastern Ladakh) is concerned, we have maintained continuous communication with the Chinese side both through diplomatic and military channels,” Bagchi said.

On the Chinese aggression which started in April-May last year, the Defence Ministry in its Year-End review had stated that unilateral and provocative actions by the Chinese to change the status quo by force, in more than one area on the LAC, have been responded to as an adequate measure. (ANI)

International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on Thursday issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against gangster Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, who claimed responsibility for the recent murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.

A senior CBI official said that after the issuance of RCN, the process to enable his extradition to India will begin.

“The RCN has been issued. The CBI liaison officer will coordinate with Interpol and a proposal will be moved through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for extradition,” he said.

Brar, a native of Sri Muktsar Sahib, had gone to Canada on a student visa in 2017 and he is an active member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He is operating from Canada.

Meanwhile, CBI on Thursday issued clarifications on reports regarding the Red Corner Notice (RCN) request against Goldy Brar.

On Wednesday, Punjab Police said that on May 19, 2022, ten days before the murder of Sidhu Moosewala, they had already sent the proposal to the CBI to issue a Red-Corner notice against Goldy Brar, which will pave the way for his extradition to India.

In a statement, CBI said that the International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) of CBI, New Delhi coordinates the requests of sister law enforcement agencies for informal coordination through Interpol including requests for the issuance of colour-coded notices.

“IPCU, CBI checks the requests for eligibility as per the Rules of Processing Data of Interpol so that the request is complete and the notices are issued early. The final issuance of notices is done by Interpol (HQ), Lyon (France) in line with rules for processing of data,” the statement reads.

In the present matter, the proposal for issuance of a Red Corner Notice against Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy was received on May 30 at 12:25 pm from the Bureau of Investigation, Punjab Police through e-mail. In this e-mail dated May 30, a copy of a letter dated May 19 was attached. Also, a hard copy of the same proposal was received from Punjab police in IPCU, CBI, New Delhi on May 30.

“After processing for confirmation of pre-requisite requirements, the Red Notice proposal was forwarded expeditiously to Interpol (Headquarters), Lyon on June 2,” it reads.

As per the above proposal of Punjab Police, the request for issuance of Red Corner Notice (RCN) relates to two cases of Punjab Police during the years 2020 and 2021 vide FIR No.409 dated November 12, 2020, and other FIR No.44 dated February 18, 2021. Both FIRs are of Police Station City Faridkot, Faridkot District (Punjab).

Even this request was received in IPCU CBI on May 30, 2022, whereas as per information in the public domain, the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala took place on May 29, 2022.

It is stated that the request for issuance of a Red Notice against Harwinder Singh Rinda has already been sent to Interpol (HQ) Lyon.

It is further clarified that INTERPOL channels are used for informal international police to police cooperation and a Red Notice is neither mandatory nor a pre-requisite for sending an extradition request more so when the location of the subject is known.

CBI has been assisting all Law Enforcement Agencies in the matter of international cooperation and is committed to assist in the best possible manner through various international channels. (ANI)

Observing an upsurge in Coronavirus infection in the past two weeks, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday wrote to all the states and Union Territories to ensure that they do not lower their guard and continue working to bring the COVID-19 pandemic situation “under control”.

Expressing his concern over the continuous surge in Covid-19 infections, the health secretary in his letter wrote, “Given the significance of adequate testing in early identification of cases and providing an accurate picture of the level of infection spread, it is required that States/UTs must ensure a high level of testing in all such areas that are reporting new cases/cluster of cases.”

“State/UTs must also monitor average daily testing per million as well as the share of RT-PCR in total tests conducted…Stats/UTs must also enhance monitoring of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and SARI cases in all health facilities on a regular basis for detecting early warning signals of the spread of infection,” the letter read.

In the letter, he also emphasised the State/UTs to conduct Genome sequencing of prescribed samples of international passengers and said, “Collection of samples from Sentinal Sites (identified health facilities) and the local cluster of new Covid-19 cases is equally important.”

He further advised them to continue implementation and monitoring of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19 snd to ensure compliance with the advisories issued by the Health Ministry, while following a five-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccine and Covid Appropriate Behavior diligently.

In the letter, he also ensured that the Union Health Ministry will continue to provide requisite support to the states/UTs in the ongoing and collective effort.

However, it was noted by the ministry that the country reported 7,240 new covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, of which, 81 per cent of cases have been reported from Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi and Karnataka (in the descending order of the number of cases reported).

Notably, the freshly recorded cases were nearly 40 per cent higher than a day ago, as infections soared sharply in states like Maharashtra and Kerala. This is the highest jump in the number of daily cases since March 2.

Meanwhile, a top expert–Director of Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare, Dr Rommel Tickoo — has warned that India is unlikely to experience the fourth wave unless a new COVID-19 variant is reported. (ANI)

Hours after Delhi Police booked AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over inflammatory remarks, Owaisi lashed out at the Centre saying that Delhi Police is suffering from ‘both sideism’ or ‘balance-waad’ syndrome.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been named in an FIR registered by the Delhi Police over alleged inflammatory remarks yesterday. Religious scholar Swami Yati Narsinghanand’s name has also been mentioned in the FIR. This comes as the row over the comments on the Prophet by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma has blown up, leading to global outrage. Sharma has also been named in an FIR by the Delhi Police, while another FIR has named several people including expelled BJP leader Naveen Jindal, and journalist Saba Naqvi, among others.

Reacting to this move by the Centre, Owaisi in a series of tweets, wrote, “I have received an excerpt of the FIR. This is the first FIR I have seen that’s not specifying what the crime is. Imagine an FIR about a murder where cops don’t mention the weapon or that the victim bled to death. I don’t know which specific remarks of mine have attracted the FIR.”

“It appears that Delhi Police lacks the courage to pursue cases against Yati, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal etc. This is why the delayed and weak response,” the AIMIM chief said.

“In fact, Yati has violated his bail conditions repeatedly by inciting genocide against Muslims and insulting Islam. Delhi Police were probably trying to think of a way of registering an FIR against these people without offending Hindutvadi fanboys/girls,” Owaisi tweeted.

The AIMIM chief further said, “Delhi Police is suffering from “both sideism” or “balance-waad” syndrome. One side has openly insulted our Prophet while the other side has been named to assuage BJP supporters and make it look like there was the hate speech on both sides.”

Owaisi alleged that the hate speech was given by the ruling party spokespersons and by prominent “Dharam Gurus” with close links to the ruling party. “This is being equated to random posts on social media with no social or political standing. In my case, FIR isn’t even saying WHAT was offensive,” he said.

In a veiled reference to the Haridwar Dharma Sansad hate speech case, Owaisi lashed out at Yati, Nupur and Naveen etc for being a part of the ‘genocidal sansad gang’. “Weak action has only been taken when there was an outrage for weeks or international condemnation or when courts pulled up the police,” the AIMIM chief said while slamming the Centre.

“In contrast, Muslim students, journalists, and activists have been put in prison for the crime of merely being Muslim. Hindutva organisations have a culture where hate speech and extremism are rewarded with promotions. Examples include Yogi’s hate was rewarded with Lok Sabha seats and Chief Ministerial ship,” he alleged.

“Government’s hate speeches were similarly rewarded. In fact, the people who attempted to shoot me admitted that they did so because they could become prominent Hindutva politicians. This culture must end,” he further said.

Questioning the BJP government’s ‘inaction’ against hate speech, Owaisi alleged, “If PM Modi was sincere, he would have stamped out hate speech without indulging in fake ‘balance-vaad’. Let genocidal hate speakers be put in prison under non-bailable draconian laws rather than getting promotions.”

“As far as the FIR against me is concerned, we will consult our lawyers and address it as and when required. We will not be intimidated by these tactics. Criticising hate speech and giving hate speeches cannot be equated,” he added.

Owaisi’s remarks came after he was named in an FIR registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police over alleged inflammatory remarks yesterday. Swami Yati Narasimhananda’s name was also mentioned in the FIR.

The Delhi Police IFSO unit on Thursday registered a case under various provisions against those who were allegedly spreading messages of hate, inciting various groups and creating situations which are detrimental to the maintenance of public tranquillity.

Delhi police registered two FIRs after social media analysis. The cases have been registered against those who were posting and sharing messages against the maintenance of public tranquillity and were inciting people on the basis of various divisive lines.

As per the Delhi police, the sections of the cases are 153, 295, 505 IPC. One case has been registered against Nupur Sharma & others one has been registered against multiple social media entities based on the analysis. Notices will be sent to the social media intermediaries for the details. (ANI)

The 16th Presidential election will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes will be held on July 21, said the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner of India said the term of office of President Ram Nath Kovind will be ending on July 24.

Kumar further said, “The value of the vote of an MP will be 700. Those in preventive detention can vote and those in jail will have to apply for parole and if they get parole, they can vote.”

He stated that the total value of votes for MLAs for the 16th Presidential Election is 5,43,231. The total value of votes for MPs is 543200. The total value of the vote of electors for the Presidential Election, in 2022 is 10,86,431.

According to the ECI, the date for notification call is June 15, while last the date for filing nominations is June 29. The ECI further announced that the date for the scrutiny of nominations is June 30 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is 2 July.

As per Article 62 of the Constitution, an election for the next president must be held before the completion of the incumbent’s term.

“A total of 4,809 electors to vote in the Presidential elections in 2022. No political party can issue a whip to its members,” said Kumar.

As per Article 54 of the Constitution of India, the President is elected by the members of the Electoral College consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The nominated members of either Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha or Legislative Assemblies of the States are not eligible to be included in the Electoral College and therefore, they are not entitled to participate in the election. Similarly, members of the Legislative Councils are also not electors for the Presidential election.

The value of votes of the elected members of State Legislative Assemblies and both Houses of Parliament is governed by Article 55(2) of the Constitution.

Previously, the Presidential election was held on July 17, 2017, while the declaration of the winner was made three days later on July 20.

Article 324 of the Constitution read with the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, and the Presidential and Vice – Presidential Elections Rules, 1974 vests the superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of election to the office of the President of India in the Election Commission of India. (ANI)

Actor Anushka Sharma is winning hearts with the latest Instagram post for her daughter Vamika.

On Thursday, Anushka, who is currently vacationing with husband Virat Kohli and daughter Vamika in the Maldives, took to Instagram and shared a glimpse of the little one’s stroller.

Alongside the image, mommy Anushka penned a sweet note, making a promise to Vamika.

“Will carry you through this world and the next and beyond my life,” she captioned the post.

A day ago, Anushka shared a photo with Virat where both of them could be spotted tanned and posing happily for the selfie.

Anushka looks pretty in a green dress and has accessorised her look with several golden necklaces. Virat, on the other hand, looks uber cool in a brown sleeveless t-shirt, showing off his tattoo.

Anushka and Virat got married in 2017 in Italy. Four years later, in January 2021, they entered into parenthood with the arrival of Vamika. (ANI)

On the occasion of Sonam Kapoor’s 37th birthday on Thursday, Bollywood celebrities took to their social media handles and sent warm birthday wishes to the soon-to-be ‘mother’ Sonam Kapoor.

Taking to Instagram stories, Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a glimpse of herself with her ‘Veere’ Sonam Kapoor from their film ‘Veere di Wedding’ and wrote, “Happy Birthday my Veere @sonamkapoor”.

Bollywood star Anushka Sharma also extended her birthday wishes and posted a picture of Sonam in an all white-attire. She wrote,” Happy Birthday Sonam! Wishing you love and light always”

Actor Ananya Pandey showered birthday love for Sonam. Sharing a photo of Sonam on her Instagram story, she wrote,” happiest of happies to the most beautiful biggest birthday hug @sonamkapoor” with a baby emoticon.

Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif penned a heartfelt wish for the ‘soon to be mom’ and wrote, “Happy happy birthday gorgeous soon to be mom! @sonamkapoor Wishing you lots of love and hugs”

Sonam’s ‘Bewakoofiyaan’ co-star Ayushmann Khurrana extended his wishes to his friend Sonam via an Instagram story, featuring him and Sonam in a throwback picture, he wrote, “Happy B’day Sonam”

Apart from other Bollywood celebrities, Sonam’s cousin brother and actor Arjun Kapoor wished his cousin sister Sonam in a unique way by sharing their throwback picture from childhood along with a special birthday note with it.

Sonam and Ahuja tied the knot on May 8, 2018, in a traditional Anand Karaj ceremony. She announced her pregnancy a few weeks back and is expecting her first child with her husband, Anand Ahuja this fall.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja will be next seen in “Blind” directed by Shome Makhija, which also stars Purab Kohli, Vinay Pathak and Lillete Dubey in prominent roles. The film is expected to release later this year. (ANI)

For the first time, the pilgrims this year can avail of helicopter service directly from Srinagar for Amarnath Yatra, an annual Hindu pilgrimage in South Kashmir.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to start the helicopter service for pilgrims directly from Srinagar to Panchtarni, the last stop point located at an elevation of 3,500 metres from where a six-kilometre trek takes pilgrims to the holy Amarnath cave, top official sources confirmed ANI.

The decision was taken considering the heavy tourist rush on the Amarnath Yatra route, said the source, requesting anonymity.

The helicopter facility was so far available for the pilgrims from Baltal and Pahalgam– the twin route to reach Amarnath temple– to reach Panchtarni from where pilgrims either walk or take help of ponies and palanquin facility.

Both Baltal and Pahalgam routes are about 61 kilometres from Amarnath Temple. The shorter route to Amarnath Temple is from Baltal which lies at a distance of 15 km from the holy cave and the pilgrims have an option to either travel by feet or by helicopter or ponies. However, the longer route from Pahalgam to Amarnath Temple is about 46 km which can also be covered either by trek, ponies, palanquin, or helicopters.

“With the beginning of helicopter service from Srinagar to Panchtarni will certainly reduce the time of those pilgrims who want to avoid visiting Pahalgam and Baltal by road to avail the facility,” said another official.

The move will add on a new route this year from Budgam, near the Srinagar airport, to Panchtarni.

“Expecting heavy rush of pilgrims as Amarnath Yatra is going to start after a gap of two years, the Central government has taken the decision to start the helicopter service from Srinagar,” the official told ANI.

The purpose behind the new helicopter route is to reduce the rush on road through Pahalgam and Baltal, which, in turn, will certainly be safe for pilgrims amid threats by terror groups to disrupt the pilgrimage, said another official.

As per agencies’ inputs, the security wing is concerned regarding the use of ‘sticky bombs’ by terrorists during the pilgrimage, and has tightened the vigil across Jammu and Kashmir to avoid any unprecedented incident during the pilgrimage.

For the safe and secure pilgrimage, special gadgets are learnt to be used by security personnel during the pilgrimage and drone services have been enhanced to keep a tab on each and every activity from a Centralised control room, said the official.

Besides, the source said, the number of drones are being increased during the pilgrimage and it is estimated that over 50 are to be used only on twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal.

For the first time, another officer in the CRPF said, an “integrated” effort is being put across all forces concerned including Army, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Jammu and Kashmir administration and Amarnathji Shrine Board members.

About three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in the pilgrimage to the cave shrine located in the upper reaches of south Kashmir.

While online registration has already begun, the pilgrimage is scheduled to be held for 43 days between June 30 and August 11.

The Amarnath shrine pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva is located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. (ANI)

With the demise of India’s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar, a void has been created in her sister Asha Bhosle’s life that cannot be filled.

During an upcoming episode of ‘Naam Reh Jaayega’, Asha Bhosle will be seen paying tribute to Lata, who passed away on February 6 following multiple organ failure.

Asha Bhosle shared a few loving memories of her beloved sister on the show.

“Lata di once read that if you wash your parent’s feet and drink that water, you become very successful. So she asked me to get water, she got the plate, and washed their feet and asked us all to drink it like CharanAmrut. She used to believe that drinking that, will make us successful and I think it worked for us,” Asha Bhosle said.

Asha Bhosle said the life of Lata Mangeshkar had a lot of ups and downs. She revealed that her sister never asked for anything but only lived a simple life.

“Didi used to earn 80/- and we used to run our household in that money. We were 5 people, and we used to have many relatives who would visit us. Didi never said no to anyone, she used to believe in sharing. There were times we used to buy Kurmura (Puffed Rice) for 2 Annas and used to eat that with tea and sleep. We had no complaints, they were simply happy times,” she added, saying she still “can’t believe she is gone.’

“I still think I will get a call anytime saying ‘Asha, kashi aahes tu?’, shared Asha Bhosle.

In the 8 episodes show ‘Naam Reh Jaayega’, 18 of the biggest Indian singers including Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, Nitin Mukesh, Neeti Mohan, Alka Yagnik, Sadhana Sargam, Udit Narayan, Shaan, Kumar Sanu, Amit Kumar, Jatin Pandit, Javed Ali, Aishwarya Majumdar, Sneha Pant, Pyarelal Ji, Palak Muchhal and Anwesha joined hands to pay tribute to the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. The show is conceived and directed by Gajendra Singh, Saibaba Studios. (ANI)

Putting Islamabad in a tight spot, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Pakistan to renegotiate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy deals before making payments of around Pakistani rupees 300 billion to the Chinese power plants.

The global lender has asked the government to treat the CPEC power plants at par with the power plants established under the 1994 and 2002 power policies, The Express Tribune reported citing sources. These plants had been set up under the CPEC framework agreement.

The IMF’s demand came after China’s refusal in the past to renegotiating the terms of agreements with the independent power producers (IPPs).

Citing sources, The Express Tribune reported that the IMF suspected that the Chinese IPPs might have been overcharging Pakistan and there was a need to reopen these deals.

The Mohammad Ali report on the IPPs had identified over payment of about Pakistani rupees 41 billion to the Chinese IPPs.

Quoting top officials in the Ministry of Finance The Express Tribune reported that the IMF had raised the issue of payments to the Chinese IPPs with their willingness to renegotiate the deals.

When contacted, Esther Perez, IMF’s Resident Representative, emphasised the need for equitable treatment of all power sector stakeholders due to the limited fiscal space.

“An important principle underpinning these (power sector) reforms is that all stakeholders contribute in an equitable manner to reduce the circular debt, between the government, IPPs and consumers, while protecting the most vulnerable consumers,” said Perez.

Perez added that in order to contain circular debt in the power sector, the government of Pakistan had engaged efforts to reduce the cost of power generation as part of a broad power sector reform strategy, including in concluding renegotiations of the capacity payment terms with over 30 IPPs last year.

She added that a number of partners of Pakistan were supporting those reforms, including the World Bank and the IMF. (ANI)