April 2023 - Page 40 of 51 - Lokmarg

China Aircraft Carrier ‘Shandong’ Engages In Drills Near Taiwan

By LokMarg 7th April 2023

Amid a high-profile meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China’s aircraft carrier Shandong engaged in a drill near Taiwan on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported.

The Shandong carrier immediately drew attention off the East Coast when Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned home after meeting the US House Speaker.
Quoting Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, Al Jazeera reported that the aircraft carrier was located 200 nautical miles (370 km) off Taiwan’s east coast. The carrier was being watched by Taiwanese warships at a distance of five to six nautical miles, he subsequently informed.

The drills coincide with Tsai and McCarthy’s stopover in California, which China fiercely denounced. Beijing believes Taiwan is it’s own and hasn’t ruled out using force to seize control of the island.

Notably, Shandong is China’s first home-built aircraft carrier. The aircraft carrier, along with a number of other Chinese navy vessels entered the Pacific on Wednesday by passing via the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan, reported Al Jazeera.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen met the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, McCarthy, on Wednesday (local time) in California. This was the first time when Taiwan’s President met with a US House speaker on American soil.

Both leaders briefly shook the hands after her SUV pulled up to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles.

Taiwan’s President met McCarthy despite the threats of retaliation from China. Washington’s current “One China” policy acknowledges Beijing’s claims but does not endorse it, according to The New York Post.

The meeting between the two leaders is seen as something China extremely disapproves of and has repeatedly shown opposition to.

Ahead of their meeting, China dispatched several maritime vessels near Taiwan’s coast. On Wednesday night local time, Beijing sent a “large scale patrol and rescue vessel” to the central and northern Taiwan Strait for a three-day “joint patrol and inspection” operation, China’s Fujian Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement.

Earlier in March, the US State Department said that China has ‘overreacted’ to Taiwan President Tsai’s visit to the US.

US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said the transits of the Taiwan President are consistent with the longstanding policy of Washington.

The statement of Vedant Patel comes after the Chinese spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said that China firmly opposes Tsai Ing-wen’s planned “transit” visit to the US to meet US officials and will take resolute countermeasures in such an event, CGTN reported. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday embarked on a 10-day visit to Central America, which will include transit in the US, CNN reported. (ANI)

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MP: Escaped Namibian Cheetah ‘Oban’ Brought Back To Kuno National Park

By LokMarg 7th April 2023

‘Oban’ – one of the male Namibian cheetahs, that escaped from the boundaries of Kuno National Park, and was spotted in a village near Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district five days back, has been brought back to the Kuno National Park, officials said on Friday.

The Namibian cheetah was rescued from the forest of Shivpuri district on Thursday evening.
“Oban was caught around 4-5 pm from the forest area near Bairad village bordering Shivpuri district and has been released to Kuno National Park’s Palpur forest,” Kuno Wildlife Division District Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar Verma said.

‘Oban’ is one of the Cheetahs which were brought from Namibia that were released into the wild of Kuno National Park in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Officials said that it strayed out of Kuno National Park and reached Jhar Baroda village on April 2, about 20 km from the national park on Wednesday.

They said that it was under surveillance. Even after four days when Oban showed no signs of returning to the national park, forest department authorities launched an operation to rescue it.

Forest department officials said that on Thursday, Oban’s location was traced outside Kuno National Park’s boundary.

They said that Oban was wandering in the forest bordering the Shivpuri district. Based on its location, the cheetah monitoring team was moved around him.

“How Oban was caught cannot be explained, as it comes under our protocol,” Verma said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia at Kuno National Park on September 17, last year.

The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952 but 8 cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) were brought from Africa’s Namibia as part of ‘Project Cheetah’ and the government’s efforts to revitalise and diversify the country’s wildlife and habitat. (ANI)

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At 6,050, Covid Cases Sees Sharp Upward Spiral In Last 24 Hours

By LokMarg 7th April 2023

As many 6,050 fresh Covid-19 infections were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, marking a significant jump from Thursday’s tally of 5,335 cases, the Union health ministry said.

Covid cases in the country have seen an upward trend in the past few days, with the daily fresh infections at 2,994 on April 1, 3,824 on April 2, 3,641 on April 3 and 3,038 on April 4 and 4,435 on April 5.
India’s active Covid caseload currently stands at 28,303 with a daily positivity rate of 3.39 per cent, the Health ministry stated further in its release.

Further, 3,320 recoveries in the last 24 hours to the overall count of people cured of the infection to 4,41,85,858, the bulletin stated, adding that the overall recovery rate is currently at 98.75 per cent.

Under the nationwide Vaccination Drive, India has so far administered 220.66 crore Covid vaccine doses (95.21 cr second doses and 22.87 cr precautionary doses), of which 2,334 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

The ministry further stated that the weekly positivity rate currently stands at 3.02 per cent.

Amid the rising Covid cases across the country, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday said lawyers are free to appear virtually and need not be in courts.

“We saw newspaper reports on rising Covid cases. Lawyers can use hybrid mode. If you choose to appear online, we will hear you,” said the CJI.

The Supreme Court had reverted to the physical hearing mode of adjudication of cases from April 4, 2022, after taking into account the low infection rate and the number of Covid cases in Delhi and across the country.

The apex court has been successfully experimenting with the hybrid method — a combination of physical and virtual — of hearing for quite some time.

The Supreme Court has also started live-streaming the Constitution bench proceedings through the Supreme Court app and YouTube even after the resumption of physical hearings.

Taking note of rising Covid cases in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said the Omicron sub-variant, which is circulating in the country currently, has not led to an increase in hospitalizations and there was no need to worry.

However, the minister said that there was a need to remain vigilant and take necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus. (ANI)

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Xi Jinping Holds Meet With France Prez Emmanuel Macron

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping today held a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Beijing, Xinhua reported. On Wednesday, Macron arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit to China at the invitation of Xi.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Macron said that he will discuss about climate, business, bio-diversity and food security with Xi Jinping. Macron’s visit to China comes amid Europe’s efforts to find a path to peace in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He tweeted, “I am convinced that China has a major role to play in building peace. This is what I have come to discuss, to move forward on. With President XI Jinping, we will also talk about our businesses, the climate and biodiversity, and food security.”

On April 5, Macron addressed the French community in China, the Elysee Palace said in a statement. He began by saluting the medical and nursing staff and the management of French schools and teachers for their sense of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, Macron spoke about the objectives of his visit to China.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he wants to engage China in shared responsibility for peace and stability, strengthen the trade ties between France and China and reinitiate a common framework for action on major international issues such as the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.

Macron recalled the importance of reviving cultural ties between France and China in 2023 to prepare for the year 2024, which will be the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the year of Franco-Chinese cultural tourism and the year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and China., according to the Elysee Palace statement.

French President visited the RedBrick museum in Beijing to attend the opening of the 17th edition of the Festival Croisements. He noted that this festival remains the largest foreign festival in China with 15 million spectators since its creation, according to the statement.

Earlier on April 4, Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic conversation with US President Joe Biden. During the phone-call, the two leaders had spoken about Macron’s visit to China.

The White House said in a statement, “The two leaders discussed President Macron’s upcoming travel to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They also reiterated their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.” (ANI)

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They Have Become So Desperate: Modi on ‘Kabr Khudegi’ Remark

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) social justice is not just a political but the party follows it in letter and in spirit.

While addressing the BJP workers on the party’s 44th Foundation Day, PM Modi said, “BJP is working with the mantra of Sabka Saath-Sabka Vikas-Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas. We have always given topmost priority to social justice and empowerment in our hearts and working style. Social justice is not a part of political sloganeering for us but an article of faith for us.”
He added, “BJP lives social justice…follows it in letter and spirit. Getting 80 crore people free ration is a reflection of social justice. The facility of free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh to 50 crores poor without discrimination is a strong expression of social justice.”

I firmly believe that the devotion, dedication and power of our Karyakartas, and our Mantra of ‘Nation First’ will keep inspiring us!

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin had on Monday said that the struggle for the attainment of social justice is not an issue of a single state. Presiding over the first All India Federation for Social Justice, which brought together leaders of different political parties on a virtual platform, Stalin attacked the ruling BJP saying those who backed the idea of a single concept vis-a-vis faith and language among others were against social justice.

Meanwhile in his address today, PM Modi also lashed out at the Congress over its dynastic politics, PM Modi, “Today BJP is leading a new political culture in the country and what is the culture of Congress and other parties like it? All these parties are hostages of familyism, dynasty, casteism and regionalism, whereas BJP’s political culture is to take every countryman along.”

Prime Minister Modi said that the Opposition never imagined that Article 370 would be history one day. “Seeing their corrupt deeds exposed, people with imperial mindset are filled with frustration, so now these people have openly started threatening to dig Modi’s grave,” he said

“They cannot digest the work BJP is doing. Today, they have become so desperate that they have openly started saying ‘Modi teri kabr khudegi’. But I want to say that these people will keep on conspiring against us but they don’t know that poor, deprived, dalits, tribals are protecting the lotus.”

He further stated that BJP has made the mantra of the nation first their ideal. BJP took birth from the womb of democracy, is nourished by the nectar of democracy and BJP is working day and night for the country with dedication while strengthening the country’s democracy and constitution, he stated.

“BJP is the party for which the nation has always been paramount. One India-Best India whose faith has been the main mantra. When Jana Sangh was born, we did not have much political experience, nor did we have the means… nor the resources, but we had devotion towards the motherland and the power of democracy, he said.

He further said, “Our dedication is to Mother India… Our dedication is to the crores of people of the country… Our dedication is to the Constitution of the country. Today BJP is synonymous with development and faith… it is synonymous with new ideas and is playing its role as a main servant in the country’s victory journey.”

He added that from the beginning, BJP has deep faith in the intellect and values of the people of the country, which is herself the ‘Mother of Democracy. He further added that this faith has been strengthening more and more, day by day.

All we had was ‘Maatr Bhumi Ki Bhakti’ and ‘Lok Tantra Ki Shakti’, i.e. the ‘Devotion for the Motherland’ and ‘Power of the Democracy’, he said.

He stated that Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ has been the Mantra and goal for the Bharatiya Janata Party. When Jan Sangh was born, we had neither much political experience nor enough resources, he further stated.

April 6 marks the BJP’s 44th foundation day and the party has organised various programmes right from the booth level.

Further, the ruling party at the Centre will screen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at 10 lakh places across the country on Thursday.

Then Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech will be played at BJP offices across the country. BJP leaders, office bearers and workers will gather at party offices to listen to PM Modi’s speech. (ANI)

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Cong Veteran AK Antony’s Son Anil Joins BJP

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

In another setback to Congress, former Defence minister AK Antony’s son Anil Antony joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi on Thursday.

Anil Antony joined the BJP in the presence of Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and V Muraleedharan. Kerala BJP chief K Surendran and senior party leaders Tarun Chugh and Anil Baluni were also present at the occasion.
Anil Antony thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his induction into BJP.

The development comes months after Anil Antony, who was a Kerala Congress Social Media Team Coordinator and resigned from all posts of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee in January following the row over BBC’s documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He criticised the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Anthony had hit out at the BBC terming it as “a state sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices” against India.

“Despite large differences with BJP, I think those in India placing views of BBC, a UK state-sponsored channel with a long history of prejudices, and of Jack Straw, the brain behind the Iraq war, over Indian institutions is setting a dangerous precedence, will undermine our sovereignty,” Anthony tweeted.

He then alleged that he had received threat calls and hate messages “through the night”.

While posting about his resignation on Twitter, Antony mocked the Congress party by saying that he received intolerant calls to retract a tweet by those “fighting for free speech”.

“I have resigned from my roles in @incindia, @INCKerala. Intolerant calls to retract a tweet, by those fighting for free speech. I refused. @facebook wall of hate/abuses by ones supporting a trek to promote love! Hypocrisy thy name is! Life goes on,” Anil K Antony said in a tweet.

The development comes a year before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)

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Rahul Is Mahatma Gandhi Of Modern India: Congress’ Amitesh Shukla

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

Amid protests against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, Congress MLA Amitesh Shukla termed the former Wayanad MP Gandhi as Mahatma Gandhi of modern India.

Shukla, who won with the highest votes margin in the 2018 assembly elections, claimed several similarities between Mahatma Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
While talking to ANI, Shukla said, “Rahul Gandhi is the Mahatma Gandhi of modern India. He has a lot of similarities with Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi did Bharat Jodo Yatra whereas Mahatma Gandhi did the Dandi march back then.”

He called Rahul Gandhi ‘Rashtriya Putra’ (son of the nation).

Shukla added “I made this statement very responsibly. I belong to a family of freedom fighters. The things I have heard from my father (Shyama Charan Shukla, former chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh) as well as uncle (senior Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla) about Mahatma Gandhi, I feel there are several similarities between Mahatma Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.”

He further said that Mahatma Gandhi could become the first Prime Minister of India but he didn’t. Similarly, Rahul Gandhi could become the PM in 2004 and 2008 but he did not. Like, Mahatma Gandhi marched several kilometres during the ‘Dandi March’, the former national president of the party also walked across the country during Bharat Jodo Yatra and interacted with people.

Like Mahatma Gandhi, who brought an end to the ‘British Empire’ with his weapon of truth, Rahul Gandhi also fearlessly speaks the truth, said Shukla, elaborating that he (Rahul Gandhi) is speaking the truth about the Adani stocks issue along with statistics.

Reacting sharply to the statement of Shukla, BJP MP Santosh Pandey said that Chhattisgarh Congress has become mentally and intellectually bankrupt. (ANI)

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Bipasha Reveals Daughter Devi’s Face To World

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

After making fans wait for over four months, actors Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover finally revealed their daughter Devi’s face to the world.

On Wednesday night, Bipasha took to Instagram and shared a few cute pictures of her newborn baby.
In the images, Devi is looking super cute in a pastel pink ensemble with a matching headband.

Sharing the pictures, Bipasha wrote, “Hello world … I am Devi#devibasusinghgrover.” She also added a string of evil eye emojis to the caption.

The little one’s pictures have left netizens in awe.

Showering love on Devi, actress Kajal Aggarwal commented, “Cutest little munchkin..love and blessings to little Devi.”

“God bless you Devi. I love you! And can’t wait to hold you,” actress Dia Mirza wrote.

“She is absolutely gorgeous..god bless you three loads of love darling,” interior designer Sussanne Khan commented.

Bipasha and Karan welcomed their first child, on November 12, last year, six years after their marriage. Taking to Instagram, Bipasha shared a post announcing the name of her daughter.

The post read, “12.11.2022. Devi Basu Singh Grover. The physical manifestation of our love and blessings of Ma is here now and she is divine.”The couple on August 16, last year, officially announced that they are expecting their first child together.

Bipasha and Karan first met on the set of Bhushan Patel’s film ‘Alone’ in the year 2015, marking their first on-screen collaboration and they tied the knot after one year of dating in April 2016. (ANI)

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Adipurush: New Poster Of Devdatta Nage As Lord Hanuman Unveiled

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

On the occasion of Hanuman Janmotsav, the makers of ‘Adipurush’ shared a new poster from the film.

The poster features actor Devdatta Nage as Lord Hanuman. In the image, we can see Devdatta sitting in a meditative pose.
In the backdrop, we glimpse the film’s lead actor Prabhas, who plays Raghav in Om Raut’s magnum opus.

Sharing the poster, Prabhas wrote on Instagram, “Ram ke Bhakt aur Ramkatha ke praan…Jai Pavanputra Hanuman.”

Adipurush is a mythological drama based on the epic Ramayana. The film also stars Prabhas as Lord Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita, and Sunny Singh as Lakshman. Saif Ali Khan will be seen essaying the role of Ravana in the film.

The teaser of ‘Adipurush’ was released on October 2, 2022, on the bank of Sarayu in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh among fans and media. The film is made with a massive budget of Rs. 500 crores and is expected to be nothing less than a visual spectacle. However, netizens were not happy with the teaser, which was trolled on the internet for its VFX. The film is set to be out in theatres on June 16. (ANI)

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Opposition Take Out ‘Tiranga March’ From Parliament

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

Opposition MPs on Thursday took out a ‘Tiranga March’ from Parliament to Vijay Chowk on the last day of the Budget session of Parliament in the national capital.

Congress leader KC Venugopal who participated in the march said, “The government itself is not letting the Parliament run. Why do they not want to discuss the Adani scam?”
Proceedings of both houses of Parliament have witnessed repeated adjournments since the beginning of the Budget Session.

The march started after Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die following a protest by Oppossiton parties, who have been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Probe into the Adani stocks among other issues. The BJP has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London.

The Tiranga March began at the Parliament and will end at Vijay Chowk.

The parties will also hold a press conference in the Constitution Club after the march, they said. Meanwhile, according to sources three political parties including the Congress will skip the ‘Evening Tea’ meeting to be hosted by the Lok Sabha Speaker today.

The decision for the ‘tricolour march’ came in the meeting on Wednesday morning which was attended by the leaders of like-minded opposition parties chaired by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in the Parliament building.

Leaders DMK, Trinamool Congress, AAP, Samajwadi Party, RJD, CPI(M), CPI, and Muslim League were among those who attended the meeting.

“Fighting in a democratic way is our duty. If the government is not listening, it is stubborn. If you want democracy to be alive then listening to the opposition is important,” Kharge said today on the last day of ongoing Budget session of Parliament.

Kharge said that despite Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from parliament there was still demand for an apology from him. “It seems they are trying to weaken the opposition,” Kharge added.

Meanwhile the BJP, which is celebrating its Foundation Day today held a parliamentary party meeting in Parliament this morning.

Meanwhile, Thirteen political parties including the Congress decided to skip the ‘Evening Tea’ meeting to be hosted by the Lok Sabha Speaker on Thursday, the last day of the Budget session of Parliament.

The parties who will give the tea meeting a miss included Opposition parties like Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and Trinamool Congress.

The Parties included the Indian National Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena, Communist Party of India, Aam Admi Party.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday while the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on the last day of the Budget Session of the Parliament following a protest by Opposition MPs over various issues.

Today is the last day of the Budget Session which has been an absolute washout with the Opposition demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Hindenburg report on Adani issue and the BJP demanding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s apology for his remarks on Savarkar and insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is one of the tallest OBC leaders. (ANI)

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