July 2023 - Page 48 of 49 - Lokmarg

Parineeti, Raghav Visit Golden Temple

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

Actor Parineeti Chopra and AAP leader Raghav Chadha, who are all set to tie the knot soon, offered prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Saturday morning.

After their sacred visit, the couple took to their respective Instagram handles and shared pictures of themselves seeking blessings at Shri Harmandir Sahib.
“My visit this time was even more special; with him by my side. @raghavchadha88,” Parineeti captioned the post.

Raghav also described the visit to the Golden Temple as “special.”

“Amidst sacred hymns and serenity, I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and said a little prayer. With @parineetichopra by my side, it was even more special. Blessed to seek blessings at Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib ji in Amritsar today,” he wrote.

The duo also performed Sewa by washing the dishes used in Langar. Parineeti wore an ivory-coloured kurta while Raghav was dressed in a kurta-pyjama with a Nehru coat.

Parineeti and Raghav exchanged rings on May 13 at Kapurthala house in New Delhi in the presence of their loved ones.

Parineeti and Raghav reportedly knew each other for several years before they began dating. The couple was recently spotted scouting for locations in Udaipur for the wedding, hinting that they will follow in her cousin Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ footsteps in tying the knot in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Parineeti will share screen space with Diljit Dosanjh in ‘Chamkila’.

Helmed by Imtiaz Ali, the film revolves around two famous Punjabi singers Amarjot Kaur and Amar Singh Chamkila. (ANI)

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Court Fixes July 7 To Consider Chargesheet Against Brij Bhushan

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on Saturday fixed July 7 for consideration on cognizance of the chargesheet against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal noted the submission of Delhi police that a supplementary chargesheet is likely to be filed as Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and report on Call Detail Record (CDR) is awaited and it is likely to take up time.
Stating that it is a lengthy charge sheet and requires time to consider, the court has listed the matter on July 7.

Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet on June 15 against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other accused, Vinod Tomar in a case related to sexual harassment alleged by women wrestlers.

Delhi Police had also filed a cancellation report in a POCSO case against Singh in Patiala House Court of Delhi.

The chargesheet has been filed under Sections 354, 354D, 345A & 506 (1) of IPC, says Special Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava on chargesheet in sexual harassment charges.

In the wrestlers matter, there were two FIRs registered against Brij Bhushan Singh on the basis of wrestlers’ complaints.

One was registered under POCSO Act and a cancellation report has been filed in the case of minor wrestler. The second was filed on the complaint of several wrestlers in Rouse Avenue Court in the MP/MLA court.

In the Patiala House Court, Delhi Police filed cancellation report citing lack of evidence on POCSO matter. Delhi Police, on June 15, filed a report recommending the cancellation of the POCSO case against Singh. This comes after the minor, who had accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment changed her statement. There was no collaborative evidence in the case, Delhi Police said.

In both matters, Delhi Police officials said that in the FIR registered by the wrestlers, after completion of investigation, they were filing a chargesheet for the offences under Sections 354, 354A , 354D IPC against accused Brij Bhushan and for offences under Sections 109/ 354/354A/506 IPC against accused Vinod Tomar before the Rouse Avenue Court.

In the POCSO matter, after completion of investigation, we have submitted a police report under section 173 Cr PC requesting for a cancellation of the case based upon statements of the complainant i.e., the father of the victim and the victim herself, added Delhi police.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had recently told protesting wrestlers during his talks with them that the chargesheet in the case will be filed by June 15.

Wrestlers have made sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Thakur had said that an Internal Complaint Committee of the wrestling federation will be constituted and it will be headed by a woman.

Protesting wrestlers had said they will discuss the outcome of their talks with their supporters. (ANI)

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Landless Villagers Displaced Due To Assam Flood, Soil Erosion

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

Hundreds of families have been displaced due to floods and soil erosion caused by the Brahmaputra river in Assam’s Barpeta district.

The mighty Brahmputra river has swallowed hundreds of bighas of land, several houses, school building, religious institution of Satra Kanara area under Baghbar assembly constituency in Barpeta district in recent times.

Md. Afsar Ali, a resident of Satra Kanara 11 no sheet village built his house 16 years ago, but now he is busy along with his family members to demolish his own house and ready to move to safer place to reside.

Md. Afsar Ali is doing this only because of soil erosion, caused by Brahmaputra river.

After swallowing hundreds bighas of land in past times, the river has now reached nearby his house.

“I am demolishing my house only because of the river. My earlier house was at Boroli area which was also swallowed by Brahmaputra river and is now doesn’t exist. I built this house (at Satra Kanara 11 No Sheet village) 16-17 years ago. Earlier the river was 400-600 meters away from here, but now it has reached nearby my house. Now we will move to Matabari area to reside on road along my family. Around 400-500 other families are now living on roads. The river has swallowed everything. I am daily wage labourer. I will have to build my house newly. If the government will help us, then it will be better for us to live,” Md. Afsar Ali said.

Not only Afsar Ali, many other families of Satra Kanara 11 no sheet, 10 no sheet are now ready to move the other places to live after the Brahmaputra river swallowed their lands, homes.

Jalaluddin Ahmed, a resident of Satra Kanara 10 No Sheet village said, “Earlier we had resided in Palarpaam village and that village is now submerged in river. In my life, we have demolished our house seven times only because of erosion. Every villager of this village has faced similar problem. We are totally helpless. I have nothing, everything has gone – my land, my house,” Jalaluddin Ahmed said.

He further said that, the future of these people is nothing.

“This year, the government has done some works to protect to the river erosion, but the work was not properly done. Erosion is still continued. 500 families of this village have affected due to river erosion problem. Earlier the river swallowed at least 13 villages under Manikpur Gram Panchayat – Manikpur, Silosi, Boroli, Sutirpar, Ranirpam, Aligaon Pathar, Aligaon Paam,Aligaon NC etc. Around 1500 families of these villages were affected due to erosion. Several school buildings, government & religious institutions were eroded,” Jalaluddin Ahmed said.

Jahan Ali, a resident of Satra Kanara 10 no sheet said that, most of the affected people are now living in Goalpara district and some of them are now working in Dimapur, Lucknow, Delhi as daily wage labourer.

“Around 95 percent people of this area are dependent in agricultural activities, but their lands were swallowed by the Brahmaputra river. Now they are landless and are facing lots of problems. The education system is also very poor in this area,” Jahan Ali said.

Another villager Nazrul Islam said that, earlier his house was in Boroli village but that village does not exist.

“In last two decades, as many as 40 villages had been wiped out due to erosion. We are poor, where we will go, some people are residing on embankment, road. To earn bread many people have moved to outside of the district. A month before, the river swallowed a basti and the affected people are now residing on an embankment,” Nazrul Islam said.

The affected people of Satra Kanara area are now struggling to live.

According to the Assam government data, the state has so far lost about 4.27 lakh hectares of land by the soil erosion of the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries. (ANI)

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Bihar Police lathi charge on Ctet aspirants

Bihar Police Lathi-Charge Protesting CTET Aspirants

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

Bihar police on Saturday lathi-charged Central Teachers’ Eligibility Test (CTET) aspirants as they protested against the state government in Patna over the ending of the domicile rule.

The protesting aspirants are demanding the implementation of a domicile policy in recruitment.
“A case will be registered against the protestors. They are taking to the roads causing traffic jams, stopping school students and causing damage to the property,” Nurul Haque, DSP Law and Order Kotwali said.

He further said, “They will have to go to jail for this. The police are removing them using lathis to control them.”

Earlier on Tuesday, after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state government announced that eligible candidates from all states can apply for teaching jobs in the state’s government-run schools.

Before implementing this, there was a rule which mandated that applicants with the domicile of Bihar could only apply for teaching jobs in the state’s government-run schools. (ANI)

1,000 People Arrested As Protests Continue For Fourth Day In France

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

The protesters erected barricades, lit fires and shot fireworks at police in French streets as tensions grew over the fatal police shooting of a teenager that has shocked the nation. The police arrested nearly 1,000 people as the government struggled to restore order on the fourth day of unrest, CNN reported.

France’s Interior Ministry, on Saturday, said that 994 people have been detained. It also said that 2,560 fires had been reported on public roads, with 1,350 cars burned, and there had been 234 incidents of damage or fire in buildings.
Seventy-nine police and gendarmes were injured over Friday night and there had been 58 attacks on police and gendarme stations, it added.

There was an explosion in the Old Port of Marseille on Friday evening, according to BFMTV, but no casualties had been reported. It also shared a video showing damage to the Alcazar library in Marseille which it said had been vandalized during the night.

These developments take place after the death of the teenager, 17, identified as Nal after being stopped for a traffic violation in the Paris suburb town of Nanterre on Tuesday. The officer who is accused of shooting him was taken to jail.

A funeral for Nahel is scheduled to take place on Saturday morning.

Footage of the incident filmed by a bystander showed two officers standing on the driver’s side of the car, one of whom fired his gun at the driver despite not appearing to be in any immediate danger, according to CNN.

The officer has said he fired his gun out of fear that the boy would run someone over with the car, according to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache.

The officer currently faces a formal investigation for voluntary homicide and has been placed in preliminary detention.

On Friday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the “exceptional” mobilization of 45,000 police and gendarmes to avoid a fourth consecutive night of riots, CNN reported.

Amid burning debris, “vengeance pour Nael” which translates to “revenge for Nael” appeared to be spray painted on a wall in Nanterre with regards to the slain teenager and using an alternative spelling of his name, the report said.

A bank was set on fire in Nanterre and 15 people were taken in by police for questioning after a march was carried out in memory of the teenager became violent. Protesters threw fireworks at police officers in Marseille, CNN reported citing BFMTV. Six people were taken by police for questioning after they took part in a protest barred by authorities in Lille, the regional authority in a Facebook post, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Accused Planned To Pursue Robotic Courses To Carry Out Terror Attacks: NIA On ISIS

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed its first supplementary chargesheet against nine persons in connection with the ISIS conspiracy case of Shivamogga district in Karnataka.

The NIA, in its supplementary charge sheet, said that the accused were about to pursue robotics courses, to pick up skills to carry out terrorist attacks in the future.
As per NIA, the accused had conducted a trial IED blast in Shivamogga, besides conducting reconnaissance of multiple places and indulging in the arson of properties and vehicles to spread terror among the people, as part of an Islamic State (ISIS) conspiracy, to carry out incidents of terror and violence in India and wage a war against India.

The accused chargesheeted on Saturday have been identified as Mohamed Shariq (25), Maaz Muneer Ahmed (23), Syed Yasin (22), Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh (22), Huzair Farhan Baig (22), Mazin Abdul Rahman (22), Nadeem Ahmed K A (22), Zabiulla (32) and Nadeem Faizal N (27). All of them belong to Karnataka.

“They have been charged under UA(P) Act 1967, Indian Penal Code and KS Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act, 1981,” the probe agency said.

Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin were chargesheeted earlier also, in March this year, and have now been charged with other offences.

Of the nine chargesheeted, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, Syed Yasin, Reeshaan Thajuddin Sheikh, Mazin Abdul Rahman and Nadeem Ahmed KA have studied mechanical and electrical engineering.

“They had been tasked by the foreign-based ISIS handler to pursue robotics courses, to pick up skills to carry terrorist attacks in the future in furtherance of the IS agenda for India,” it added.

NIA investigations have revealed that Mohamed Shariq, Maaz Muneer Ahmed and Syed Yasin had hatched a criminal conspiracy, in connivance with IS operatives based abroad, to promote terror and violence on the direction of IS, a banned terrorist outfit, in the region.

The trio had actively radicalised and recruited the co-accused with the intention to disturb the national security, unity and sovereignty of the country.

Their online handler had funded the accused through cryptocurrencies, as per the NIA investigations in the case. The case was initially registered by the Shivamogga Rural Police on September 19 in 2022, and later taken over and re-registered by NIA on November 15 in 2022.

Further investigations into the case are underway. (ANI)

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Monsoon Session Of Parliament To Commence July 20

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday announced that the monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 20.

The session is slated to continue till August 11, he said.
In a tweet Joshi today said, “Monsoon Session, 2023 of Parliament will commence from 20th July and continue till 11th August. Urge all parties to contribute towards productive discussions on Legislative Business and other items during the Monsoon Session.”

Joshi said that there will be a total of 17 sittings in this session lasting 23 days.

“I appeal to all parties to contribute constructively to the legislative and other business of Parliament during the session,” the union minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building on May 28.

The government is expected to have significant legislative agenda for the session.

Opposition parties are also gearing up to take on the government on a host of issues. (ANI)

Animal Rights Body Calls For #StopKeralaKillings Via Tweetathon

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

An animal rights group has called upon all animal lovers across the country to launch a ‘Tweetathon’ at 6 pm on Saturday, July 1, to condemn the periodic incidents of killings of dogs in Kerala with a hashtag #StopKeralaKillings, according to a press statement issued by the organisation.

Noted animal rights activist Ambika Shukla who is a trustee of People for Animals, said in its appeal: “Kerala seems to like killing. Nothing else explains its bizarre attitude to man’s best friend, the dog.”

For 50 years after Independence, Indian municipalities were killing street dogs. Yet the numbers continued to remain the same as this is neither a scientific nor sustainable solution, the statement said.

Finally, the Court stepped in to halt this needless brutality and India switched over to a sensible WHO programme wherein dogs are sterilised, vaccinated and replaced in their original areas. The ABC (animal birth control) programme was launched in 2001 via a very successful pilot project in Jaipur. It proved that numbers can be regulated, bites ended snd rabies eliminated. Within just a few years, Jaipur was declared a rabies-free city.

Since then, ABC has been adopted with varying degrees of success depending on how well and systematically it has been implemented.

“In spite of the ABC programme being available, Kerala continued to kill dogs. In 2915, in a stare wide pogrom , almost 1 lakh dogs were murdered,” Ms Shukla alleged. “Following international outrage, Kerala was directed by Court to introduce the ABC programme. Even then, to whom did the state entrust this programme? To a women empowerment group with no idea of how to run the programme. Given the huge corruption and mismanagement wherein only a total of 16000 dogs were sterilised over 4 years at a cost of over rs 2 crores, the Kerala High Court directed the Govt to close and restart the programme properly.”

Instead of doing so, again the Kerala Govt wants to go back to killing– a failed, regressive policy that has never yielded any results except untold misery to lakhs of sentient beings for no human benefit.

“Not only have various Kerala organisations appealed to SC to sanction killing, but even before any court sanction, killings have spread throughout the state with people taking the law and sticks into their own hand,” Ms Shukla said.

Openly poisoning formulas snd methods are being exchanged on social media chat groups, all manner of torture instruments are being ordered and killing is carrying on openly without any state or pokice intervention to stop this cruel and illegal brutality.

In one case in Kollam, a mother sheltering her 6 newborn pups in the home of a lady and her granddaughter, was attacked by a gang of men who broke into the house and beat her to death. The incident was captured on cctv camera and national outrage forced the police to lodge an FIR.

Similar incidents are rife across the state.

What it needs is for the State to issue strict notices and directions to the police to take strong immediate action to deter cruelty. Civic organisations like the Church, schools, and local leaders must step in to quell public fears against dogs and publicise the benefits of the ABC programme. And most of all a state timebound sterilisation and vaccination drive must be launched through credible NGOs.

Regulating dog numbers, ending bites and eliminating rabies is as simple as ABC, Ms Shukla said.

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Broadway Drops Vaccine Mandate, COVID-19 Testing Requirements

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

Broadway has dropped its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for actors and workers.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Broadway has moved to a more lenient testing model, which allows individual productions not to test cast and crew members on a weekly basis or to test as often as they want.
“The move away from COVID-specific protocols to flexible, long-term guidance on responding to infectious disease fosters continued collaboration between employers and Equity, and responsiveness to old and new workplace threats as they arise,” said Actors’ Equity Association Assistant Executive Director Andrea Hoeschen.

The decision to let the vaccine mandate expire, which had been set by Broadway producers in July 2021, came as part of a periodic review of COVID-19 protocols by the Broadway League, the trade association for producers and general managers, according to a spokesperson. The language now reads: “Employees are encouraged to stay up to date on COVID-19 immunizations.”

Hollywood dropped its vaccine mandate on new film and television productions starting after May 12 and now may only require testing in certain cases involving scenes of intimacy.

This comes after US President Joe Biden signed a congressional resolution on April 11, 2023 that brought an end to the COVID-19 national emergency. The federal public health emergency ended May 11, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Broadway had already dropped its vaccination requirement for audience members starting on April 30, 2022. Wearing a mask became optional for audience members starting that July (though some productions have required audience members to wear a mask for select performances or seating locations).

The vaccine mandate for cast and crew members was put in place by theatrical unions and Broadway producers ahead of the industry’s reopening in the fall of 2021. There was a possible exemption if allowed by the employer, in place for individuals who are not vaccinated due to disability or sincerely held religious belief. (ANI)

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Buldhana Accident: Bodies To Be Identified Through DNA Testing

By LokMarg 1st July 2023

Authorities have decided to conduct DNA tests to ascertain the identity of the victims of the fatal bus accident that took place in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district during the wee hours of Saturday.

At least 25 people were charred to death, while 8 others were injured after the bus they were travelling overturned and caught fire on the Samruddhi-Mahamarg expressway in Buldhana district at around 01.30 am.
With bodies being charred beyond recognition, it seems to have become difficult for the police to identify the victims of the Buldhana bus accident, prompting authorities to conduct DNA tests.

“25 people have lost their lives in the accident. Identification of the bodies is being done. We will hand over the bodies to the relatives after the DNA identification,” Buldhana District Collector Dr HP Tummod told ANI.

According to officials, the bus was travelling from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal to Pune and met with an accident in Buldhana on the Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway.

Twenty-five people died and 8 were injured after a bus travelling from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal to Pune caught fire.

There are 3 children among those who died and the rest are adults. The exact reason for the accident has not yet been ascertained, officials said.

Eight others injured in the accident have been taken to Buldhana Civil Hospital and admitted there.

According to the police officials, a total of 33 people were travelling in the bus which was on its way to Pune.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while taking to Twitter expressed his condolence and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who are undergoing treatment.

“The accident of a private bus of Vidarbha Travels going to Pune at Pimpalkhuta in Buldhana district killing 25 people is very shocking and heart-wrenching. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them. 8 people were injured in this incident and they have been admitted to hospital in Sindkhedaraja. The condition of the injured is out of danger. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased in this accident. The state government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured,” Fadnavis said.

He further said that the state government is in touch with the district as well as the police administration.

“According to preliminary information given by the Superintendent of Police, the bus hit a bridge after which the diesel tank burst and the vehicle caught fire,” he added. (ANI)

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