May 2023 - Page 2 of 51 - Lokmarg

Nod To Inter-Ministerial CMTE For Facilitating World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the formation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for facilitating “World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector” by the convergence of various schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Briefing the media after a meeting of the union cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the world’s largest food storage scheme has been approved in the cooperative sector today.
“This scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 1 lakh crore. Under this scheme, a godown of a capacity of 2,000 tonnes will be constructed in every block. An inter-ministerial committee will be formed for this. A decision has also been taken to start City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain – CITIIS 2.0 program today,” he said.

In order to ensure time-bound and uniform implementation of the plan in a professional manner, the Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected districts of different states and union territories in the country.

The pilot would provide valuable insights into the various regional requirements of the project, the learnings from which will be suitably incorporated for the country-wide implementation of the plan. (ANI)

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Mohd Iqbal Composed ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha’ But Never Believed It: DU Vice-Chancellor

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

After Delhi University’s Academic Council dropped a chapter on renowned Urdu poet Muhammad Iqbal from its political science syllabus, Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Tuesday said the poet is remembered for his composition ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha…’ but he never believed in those words.

The VC’s remark followed shortly after the national poet of Pakistan, Allama Iqbal alias Muhammad Iqbal, was dropped from the Political Science syllabus during a discussion on the undergraduate course in the 1014th Academic Council meeting of Delhi University.
Speaking to ANI, the vice-chancellor said, “I don’t know why we were teaching his (Muhammad Iqbal’s) part in the syllabus for the past 75 years. I agree that he served India by composing the popular song ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha’ but never believed in that.”

Earlier, on Friday, Vice Chancellor Singh presided over the meeting of the Academic Council, saying that those who laid the foundation to break India should not be included in the varsity’s syllabus.

“Iqbal wrote songs supporting the ‘Muslim League’ and the ‘Pakistan Movement’. He was the first to raise the idea of the partition of India and the establishment of Pakistan. Instead of teaching our students about such people, we should impart lessons on our national heroes,” the VC said.

Further, according to an official statement, the vice-chancellor’s proposal was unanimously passed by the House. In the meeting, the syllabus for the fourth, fifth and sixth semesters of various courses under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022 was passed. The VC also emphasised the teachings of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and many more luminaries.

The meeting also considered the recommendations of the Standing Committee regarding the BA course proposed by the Department of Philosophy and approved them unanimously along with the head of the department.

The BA courses offered by the Department of Philosophy include the “Philosophy of Dr Ambedkar”, “Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi” and “Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda”. In addition, the Vice-Chancellor requested the Head of the Department of Philosophy to explore the possibility of including Savitribai Phule in the curriculum.

In the meeting of the Academic Council of the University of Delhi, the establishment of the Tribal Studies Centre was also approved, stating that it would be a multi-disciplinary centre with studies on various tribes of India.

“The main objectives of the centre were to understand the term “tribe” from an Indo-centric perspective, to study their social, cultural, linguistic, religious, economic, and environmental aspects and to study the role and contribution of tribal leaders in different eras of India,” the statement read. (ANI)

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No Supportive Evidence To Prove Wrestlers’ Claim: Delhi Police

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Delhi Police sources on Wednesday said that till now no supportive evidence has been found to arrest the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, in connection with the allegations levelled by wrestlers against him.

According to top sources, Delhi police will be filing its final report on the matter within 15 days. “Within 15 days we will be filing our report in the court. It could be in the form of a charge sheet or final report,” Delhi police sources said.
Delhi police sources further said that there is no supportive evidence to prove the wrestlers’ claim.

“The sections of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) added in FIR has less than seven years’ OF imprisonment, so investigating officer (IO) cannot proceed with arrest as demand by the accused,” they pointed out.

“Neither he is influencing the witness nor he is destroying the evidence,” they added.

Olympic medalist wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik along with Vinesh Phogat, who have accused the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and are demanding his arrest, reached Uttarakhand’s Haridwar to immerse their all medals including Olympic medals in the river Ganga on Tuesday evening, as a mark of their protest.

Several ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting against the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest. They also went on to question the fact that how the women wrestlers had to hide for the entire day. (ANI)

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No Need For Netaji, Bhagat Singh In Movie On Savarkar: Bose’s Grand Nephew

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Days after the makers of the movie ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ released its teaser, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s grandnephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, on Tuesday said the film must do justice to Savarkar’s personality, adding that there was no need to refer to Netaji, Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose when making a movie on Savarkar.

Speaking to ANI, Chandra Bose said, “(Randeep) Hooda is a famous actor and director. It’s great that he is making a film on Savarkar, but the film must do justice to Savarkar’s personality. There is no need for Netaji, Bhagat Singh and Khudiram Bose in a movie on Savarkar.”
Bose added that Savarkar’s ideas were different and were rooted in Hindutva.

“Savarkar’s ideas were different, he embraced a Hindutva ideology. He was attached to Hindu Mahasabha. However, Netaji was against Hindu Mahasabha. He had a more inclusive and secular ideology. If the movie presents distorted facts, the nation’s 140 crore people will go against him (Hooda),” Bose said.

He stressed that it was the responsibility of the makers and actors to present facts as they are, adding that no director has the right to distort facts.

“Interpretations can vary, but if basic facts are distorted then the entire history will change. It is the responsibility of directors and actors to present facts as they are. No filmmaker has the right to distort facts. We will appreciate it (film) if it showcases the real personality of Savarkar,” he said.

Randeep Hooda on Sunday released the teaser of ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ where he will play the freedom fighter.

Randeep also took to his Twitter handle to post, “The most wanted Indian by the British. The inspiration behind revolutionaries like – Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh & Khudiram Bose. Who was #VeerSavarkar? Watch his true story unfold! Presenting @RandeepHoodain & as #SwantantryaVeerSavarkar In Cinemas 2023”

His fans congratulated him for bringing the life of a revolutionary leader on the big screen.

The teaser of ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ was released on the 140th birth anniversary of the revolutionary leader. (ANI)

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Modi To Launch BJP’s Pan-India Campaign ‘Maha Jansampark’ Today

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday will launch Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) month-long pan-India campaign, ‘Maha Jansampark’, in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Ajmer today covering all 543 Lok Sabha constituencies.

PM Modi will launch “Maha Jansampark” by addressing a public meeting in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Under this Maha Jan Sampark, scheduled to be held from May 31 (today) to June 30, extensive public programmes will be done across the country after the completion of 9 yrs at the Centre.
Over 51 huge rallies, public meetings at more than 500 places, and over 600 press conferences in over 500 Lok Sabha and 4000 Vidhan Sabha constituencies will be conducted along with over 5 lakh distinguished families will be contacted.

Sharing details of the programme, which is the largest outreach in BJP’s history, party national general secretary Tarun Chugh, coordinator for the programme, said, “A total of 288 top BJP leaders and 16 lakh party workers will interact with voters at ten lakh booths and 144 clusters covering all Lok Sabha seats to deliver the message of achievements in nine years of the party’s rule at the Centre.”

“As part of the campaign, party leaders will meet 1,000 eminent families per Lok Sabha segment, and conduct 51 mega rallies across India, along with seminars with teachers, social media influencers and other distinguished citizens,” Tarun Chugh said while addressing a press briefing.

Enlightened Conference will be organized in all Lok Sabha with intellectuals. This program will also be organized on June 25, the anniversary of Emergency Day, in which a documentary will be shown on how Congress destroyed democracy.

Social Media Influencer meet will be organized with the major influencers of social media. A business conference will be organized and Vikas Teerth, the site of major development works done by the central government will be visited.

Door-to-door public meetings will be undertaken from June 20 to June 30, in which all the leaders, office bearers and workers including Union ministers and national office bearers will participate.

Yuva Morcha members will meet the beneficiaries of Mudra Loan Yojana Startup India etc. at the booths in Beneficiary Sampark, they will discuss with them the development work done during 9 years by the BJP government at the Centre.

Crores of BJP workers, over 300 MPs and more than 1400 MLAs will vigorously participate in this program to take the public welfare policies and achievements of the Modi government to the public. The achievements of the BJP government will reach everyone.

A new voter conference in which conference with voters of the age group of 18 to 25 years on 15,931 mandals will be organized. An online quiz at the national level Family meeting will be organized by inviting all the families covered under Anganwadi centres across the country. Beneficiaries of the nutrition campaign will be specially invited.

As part of the campaign, a two-wheeler tour, spanning eight days, in the assemblies across the country will also be conducted.

During the 8-day district-level two-wheeler Yuva Yatra in more than 4,000 Vidhan Sabhas, programs like Nukkad Sabhas, sports competitions, and felicitation of young achievers will be organized at the main places of the city, villages and mohallas.

PM Kisan Nidhi Beneficiaries will be contacted and meetings will be held with the presidents of various farmer producer organizations. Village Chaupal will be organized at mandis with SPO village head sarpanch under Gram Chaupal Gram Sabha will be organized with unorganized labourers.

A Tribal Gaurav Yatra Morcha is also on the cards, which will contact the beneficiaries of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across the country. Tribal Gaurav Yatra will be taken out at the district level, and programs will be organized under the program of the day including Lord Birsa Munda, which will be organized with the representatives of Scheduled Tribes.

Beneficiaries of the backward class will be contacted at the booth level. In this program, direct contact will be made on all the 10 lakh booths of the country, and 10 crore people of India will be connected with this program. (ANI)

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What’s Happening To Muslims, Happened To Dalits In 1980s: Rahul

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Targeting the BJP-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said, “what is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in the 1980s” and it has “to be fought with affection”.

Speaking at the ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ event in San Francisco in the United States, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the impact of some actions of the BJP-led government was being felt by minorities and people from the Dalit and tribal community.
“It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can’t cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection,” Gandhi said.

“Also, this is a periodical thing. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in the 1980s. If you went to UP in the 1980s, this was happening with Dalits…We have to challenge it, fight it and do it with love and affection and not with hatred and we will do that,” he added.

The Congress leader was responding to a question concerning Muslims in India from ‘Bay Area Muslim community’ and the steps Congress will take to tackle the issues faced by them.

Rahul Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the United States to interact with the Indian diaspora and express the Congress party’s “commitment to democratic values in India and across the world”.

During the event, Rahul Gandhi also spoke about “economic inequality” and said that while some people were finding it difficult to make ends meet, about “five people have lakhs of crores” rupees.

The Congress leader talked about the caste census conducted during the Congress-led UPA government, MNREGA and the NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) proposed by the Congress.

“When we were in power, we had carried out the caste census. The idea was to take an X-Ray of society. Because without understanding the exact demographic and who is who, it is very difficult to distribute power effectively. We have been asking the BJP to release the numbers of the caste census and they are of course not doing it. When we will come to power we will do that,” he said.

“We are committed to making India a fair place. We understand deeply that India today in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, the poor and minorities is not a fair place. And there are many things that can be done. The NYAY scheme that we proposed, MNREGA, increases education and healthcare spending, all these things can be done”.

Attacking the Narendra Modi government, he alleged that it does not want to discuss issues of price rise, unemployment, and inequality and was trying to cause distractions.

“I would have to look at exactly how they are planning to do it (delimitation exercise to increase the number of MPs). What criteria they are using? I would be interested to know how have they come up with the number 800. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, a negotiation between its languages, its people, their history and its culture. And the negotiation has to be fair.

“All sections of the country should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. But, these are all distractions. The real issue is price rise, unemployment, and inequality. BJP can’t really discuss them, so they have to do the old sceptre thin. Lying down and doing all that. Aren’t you happy that I am not lying down?” he asked.

Answering another query, he said as per Constitution, the definition of India is ‘Union of States’.

“The idea is that the history, culture, and language of each and every state has to be protected under the union. BJP-RSS is attacking that idea as well as the Constitution of India. I know that Tamil is more than just a language for the people of Tamil Nadu. And I would never allow the Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, an attack on Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada or Punjabi is an attack on India,” he said.

Answering a query, he said allies of Congress had objections to Women’s Reservation Bill and the party will work for its passage when it comes to power. (ANI)

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Modi Would Start Explaining To God How Universe Works: Rahul

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Launching a scathing attack at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the Centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that he had to launch ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ because all instruments of doing politics (connecting with people) were “being controlled” and the “whole India” walked with him during the mega foot march.

The Congress leader, who is on a 10-day tour to the US, was addressing the Indian diaspora at an event titled ‘Mohabbat ki Dukaan’ in San Francisco on Wednesday.
Addressing a gathering there, Rahul Gandhi said, “Some months ago, we started a walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. While walking we realised that normal instruments for doing politics (connecting with people) were not working anymore. They were controlled by the BJP and RSS. People are threatened and agencies are used against them. In some way, it had become quite difficult to act politically. That is why we decided to walk from the southernmost tip of India to Srinagar.”

Taking a jibe at PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said that some groups in India have the “disease” of being under the impression that they know everything.

“In India, we grew up with people of different languages, different religions. And that is what is being attacked. The tradition in India, of people like Gandhi Ji and Guru Nanak Ji, has been that you should not be under the impression of knowing everything. It is a ‘disease’ that some groups of India think that they know everything. Even if they have a conversation with God, they might explain to him,” he said.

Further adding to his remark, the Congress leader said, “And of course, Prime Minister is one of them. If you make him sit with God, he would start explaining to him (God) how the universe works…and God would get confused about what I had created.”

“They (BJP) can speak to scientists and explain science to them. They can explain history to historians, warfare to the army and flying to the air force. But at the heart of it, they don’t know anything,” he lamented.

Rahul Gandhi went on accusing the BJP-led government in the Centre of “trying everything to stop” his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, but nothing was working against the “effect” of the foot march.

“When we started the Yatra, we thought, let’s see what happens. In 5-6 days, we realised walking thousands of kilometres is not an easy job. I had an old knee injury that started to act up. Then quite a surprising thing happened. After walking 25 km every day, I felt that I am not feeling tired at all. Everybody around me said that they were not feeling tired. It was not us that was walking, the whole of India was walking with us,” the Congress leader said.

He further said that it was during the Yatra when the idea of ‘Nafrat Ke Bazaar Mein Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ came up to his mind.

“Not just in India, ‘Bharat Jodo’ is an idea which is about respecting each other and being affectionate to each other. It is about not being violent towards each other, not being arrogant. And I did nothing compared to Guru Nanak Ji. I read that he walked to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. He was doing Bharat Jodo much before. In Karnataka, Basavana ji. In Kerala, Narayan Guruji, every state has had these giants,” he said.

The Congress leader said that one cannot know anything without listening to people.

“That’s the tradition of our country. We have the ability to absorb any idea that comes. India has never rejected any idea. Everybody has been received with open arms. And their idea has been absorbed. India that respects everyone, India that is humble, India that is affectionate. And that’s the India that you represent. You were not here if you had not believed in this. If you had believed in anger, hatred, arrogance, you would have gone to BJP, and I would have started ‘Mann ki Baat’,” Rahul Gandhi added. (ANI)

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Nepal PM’s 4-Day Official Visit To India Begins Today

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Dahal will begin his schedule the next day (Thursday) by laying a wreath at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at 10.30 am.

The Nepalese PM has a raft of meetings lined up on Wednesday, topping which is one with PM Modi at 11 am at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

Dahal will also preside over the exchange of agreements between the two nations and release press statements at the same venue at around noon.

At 4 in the evening, the Nepalese PM will call on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the latter’s official residence at Maulana Azad Road. Thereafter, Dahal will call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Apart from his official engagements, on the second day of his visit, Dahal will emplane to attend a programme in Indore. He is also likely to visit Ujjain, according to MEA. He will depart for Kathmandu on June 3, Saturday at 4.20 pm.

A high-level delegation will accompany Nepal PM Dahal during his visit.

PM Dahal will also hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Modi on diverse areas of the bilateral partnership between India and Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.

Several other Indian dignitaries will call on the Nepalese Prime Minister as well.

The visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.

The bilateral relations between the two countries have significantly strengthened in the last few years in all areas of cooperation.

This visit demonstrates the importance that both sides place on accelerating the bilateral partnership between the two nations. (ANI)

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Modi To Address Rally In Ajmer, Offer Prayer At Brahma Temple

By LokMarg 31st May 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Ajmer district and will offer prayers at the Brahma temple in Pushkar today.

The rally comes as a celebration of the completion of 9 years by the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre.
After reaching Rajasthan PM Modi will offer prayers at the Prajapati Brahma Temple, visit the ghats and later he will address a public meeting in Ajmer’s Kayad, according to party leaders.

Rajasthan is slated to go to Assembly polls this year, BJP’s focus will be on 45 assembly seats in 8 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state. This is the sixth program of PM Modi in Rajasthan in the last eight months.

According to Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, lakhs of people and workers will gather in this meeting from 45 assembly seats in eight Lok Sabha constituencies including Ajmer and Jaipur.

This BJP event comes soon after the Congress held discussions with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in the national capital on Monday night ahead of the assembly polls later this year.

Over 51 huge rallies, public meetings at more than 500 places, and over 600 press conferences in over 500 Lok Sabha and 4000 Vidhan Sabha constituencies will be conducted along with over 5 lakh distinguished families will be contacted.

Door-to-door public meetings will be undertaken from June 20 to June 30, in which all the leaders, office bearers and workers including Union ministers and national office bearers will participate.

As part of the campaign, a two-wheeler tour, spanning eight days, in the assemblies across the country will also be conducted.

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Mrunal Thakur Wraps Up Mumbai Shoot Of ‘Nani 30’

By LokMarg 30th May 2023

Actor Mrunal Thakur penned down a note as she wrapped the Mumbai schedule of her upcoming Telugu movie ‘Nani 30’.

Mrunal took to Instagram on Monday and dropped BTS pictures. In the first picture, Mrunal can be seen posing in her makeup room.

She shared a group picture of the Nani 30 crew featuring Nani. Mrunal also posted candid moments with her team on the film sets.

Sharing the pictures, she wrote, “Wrapping up the Mumbai schedule with a heart full of gratitude and a camera full of memories! #Nani30. It’s the first time I’m shooting a South film in moi city and we had hella fun through it all.”

As soon as the pictures were posted, the actor’s fans and industry friends chimed in the comment section.

Actor Supriya Raina Shukla wrote, “That smile… It has not changed a bit… Keep smiling.”

One of the users wrote, “Waiting for your first look in Nani30.’

The yet-untitled movie’s first poster was unveiled last month. The movie is tentatively titled ‘Nani 30’.

Taking to Instagram, Nani shared the poster of the movie. He captioned the post, “And the wait is over … 21 st dec it is ! In the poster, Nani is huggling a little girl, who has a worried expression on her face. Mrunal also shared the poster on her social media feed.

Being helmed by debutant Shouryuv, the movie is touted to be an emotional family drama. The movie went to floors in January, this year.

Speaking about the movie, Mrunal earlier said, “I’m sure elated and excited to be part of this project. It’s a really heartwarming story and the team backing the project is immensely talented. I’m looking forward to working with Nani. It’s an interesting curve, given I did the remake of Jersey last year, a film Nani originally starred in.” (ANI)

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