Month: December 2023

Smriti Irani

Commendable Step By Modi: Smriti On Expansion Of Indian Oil Bottling Plant In Amethi

By LokMarg

Union Minister Smriti Irani and Lok Sabha MP from Amethi on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the expansion of the oil bottling plant in Amethi.

Speaking to the media after inaugurating the LPG bottling plant in Trisundi, BJP MP from Amethi said, “PM Modi expanded the Indian Oil bottling plant in Amethi. With a budget of Rs 160 crores, the capacity of this plant has been increased to six times its original capacity. This is another commendable step by PM Modi to boost and strengthen the local economy.”

She also said that from 2019 to September 2023, more than one lakh small businessmen in Amethi have been beneficiaries of bank loans worth Rs 1600 crores.

“Farmers, during the same period, have benefitted from bank loans worth Rs 4500 crores,” added Irani.

Taking a veiled attack on the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Amethi MP accused that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was “remote controlled” by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

“The worrying part was that the reins of power in the Amethi-Rae Bareli area were in the hands of women ( Congress leader Sonia Gandhi). They (Congress) run the Prime Minister through remote control,” Smriti Irani said, taking a dig at the Congress, which won several elections from Amethi during 1980-2014.

The remarks were made at a public meeting on the third day of her tour at Trishundi village in Amethi.

“But they (Congress) deprived 3,92000 families of toilets,” she alleged.

“As a protector and brother, PM Modi enhanced the respect of the daughters of poor families. The more he is being thanked, the less it is,” she added.

Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections. (ANI)

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Imran Khan

Pakistan: EC Rejects Imran’s Nomination

By LokMarg

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed on Saturday that it has rejected the nomination papers for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khanb, dealing a major blow to the former Prime Minister ahead of the upcoming elections slated for February 8, 2024, The News International reported on Saturday.

Despite being disqualified from contesting the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, jailed ex-PM, Imran Khan submitted his nomination papers from his home constituency in Mianwali on Friday, as reported by Geo News.

Khan had his nomination papers submitted for the National Assembly’s NA-89 constituency. PTI leader Umar Bodla appeared on the former prime minister’s behalf.

The PTI founder, a 70-year-old former international cricket star, has been at the centre of a political crisis since he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.

The cricketer-turned-politician was sent to jail for three years on August 5 after being found guilty of selling state gifts during his 2018-22 tenure as prime minister–the charges he denies, Geo News reported.

Khan is seeking to overturn that conviction, which has barred him from contesting elections for five years. He filed a plea in the Islamabad High Court, but it was rejected, after which the party moved to the Supreme Court.

In a separate victory for his legal team, they managed to get him bail from the apex court earlier in the day; however, the incarcerated former PM still won’t be able to come out of jail anytime soon as he was arrested in two more cases during his incarceration, according to Geo News.

Khan’s legal team says that the district court, which sent Khan to jail and had him disqualified, gave a “baseless” judgement.

Pakistan’s general elections will take place on February 8, 2024, with political parties turning up the heat by staging rallies or wooing politicians with a substantial voter base into their ranks.

The top two issues that the incoming government will have to deal with are economic stabilisation and political uncertainty, both of which have been persistent since PTI’s ouster.

According to Geo News, several politicians have hinted that a coalition would rule the country as no single leader or party is in a position to form the majority.

Despite his disqualification and fallout with the establishment, Khan remains a crucial reason for PTI’s vote bank, as was evident when his party released an AI-generated audio of Khan to boost the supporters’ morale, Geo News reported.

An uphill task remains for the PTI as it goes into the polls after Khan stepped down as the PTI chairman and handed over the reins to Barrister Gohar Khan, the man who has been in the party for around a year. (ANI)

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I Urge 140 Cr People To Celebrate Deepawali On Jan 22: Modi

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged citizens to light a ‘Shri Ram Jyoti’ in their homes and celebrate Deepavali on January 22, when the idol of Lord Ram will be consecrated at the grand Temple in Ayodhya.

Addressing a mega public gathering in Ayodhya, PM Modi said the whole world is eagerly waiting for January 22.

“This historic moment has very fortunately come into our lives. We have to make a new resolve for the country and fill ourselves with new energy. For this, I urge all the 140 crore countrymen to light Shri Ram Jyoti in their homes on January 22 and celebrate Deepavali,” the Prime Minister said.

Before addressing the public meeting, the Prime Minister inaugurated the newly-built Ayodhya Airport, redeveloped Ayodhya Railway Station and flagged off new Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Bharat trains. He also unveiled multiple development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore in the state.

The Prime Minister noted that the airport has been inaugurated and other development works unveiled on a date that coincides with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisting the flag in Andaman and Nicobar Islands “to announce India’s freedom”.

“The date–December 30–has always been historic for India. It was on this day in 1943 when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the flag (Indian) in Andaman (and Nicobar Islands) to announce India’s freedom,” he said

“Today, the foundation stone of development works worth more than Rs 15 thousand crore has been laid and inaugurated here. These infrastructure-related works will once again establish modern Ayodhya with pride on the map of the country. Today’s India is beautifying its pilgrimage sites and is also immersed in the world of digital technology,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the government is working to boost infrastructure in Ayodhya and the city will give direction to development not only in the Awadh region but the entire Uttar Pradesh.

“After the construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram here, there will be a huge increase in the number of people coming here. Keeping this in mind, our government is carrying out development work worth thousands of crores of rupees in Ayodhya and is making Ayodhya smart.

Today, I have the privilege of inaugurating Ayodhya Dham Airport and Railway Station. I am happy that Ayodhya Airport has been named after Maharishi Valmiki. Maharishi Valmiki introduced us to the works of Lord Ram through the Ramayana,” he said.

“At present, Ayodhya Dham railway station has a capacity to serve 10-15 thousand people. After the complete development of the station, 60 thousand people will be able to commute to Ayodhya Dham railway station every day,” he added.

He said India’s heritage shows the right path and today’s India is making progress by combining tradition with modernity.

The Prime Minister said today’s India is beautifying its pilgrimage sites and is also immersed in the world of digital technology.

“Whatever be the country in the world if it has to reach new heights of development, it will have to take care of its heritage. Ram Lala was there in a tent, today pucca house has been given to not only Ram Lala but also to the four crore poor of the country….The campaign for making India a developed country is getting new energy from Ayodhya,” he said. (ANI)

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Soha Ali Khan

Soha, Daughter Inaaya Soak Up The Sun

By LokMarg

Soha Ali Khan, along with her husband Kunal Kemmu and their daughter Inaaya, is currently enjoying her holiday in Australia.

On Saturday, Soha shared a picture with her daughter while soaking up the sun. She wrote in the caption, “Girls just wanna have sun.”

Soha wore a purple crop top with denim shorts and a white jacket.

While little Inaaya wore a purple furry jacket with black pants.

The mother-daughter duo can seen smiling while posing for the camera on the beach.

As soon as the actor uploaded the picture, fans and followers chimed in the comment section.

Soha’s sister Saba Pataudi wrote, “Beach bums beautiful.”

One of the users wrote, “Cuteness overloaded.

Another user commented, “Cutie pie.”

Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu got married in 2015 and welcomed their daughter Inaaya in 2017.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kunal will be soon making his directorial debut with the upcoming film ‘Madgaon Express’.The film is headlined by Pratik Gandhi, Avinash Tiwari, Nora Fatehi and Divyendu. The film is said to be a comedy-drama. The official release date of the film is still awaited.

Soha was last seen in the web series ‘Hush Hush’ alongside Juhi Chawla, Kritika Kamra and Karishma Tanna. (ANI)

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Sonali Bendre

Sonali Gives Glimpse Of ‘Ganges View’

By LokMarg

Actor Sonali Bendre is having a fun time by the side of the Ganges.

Taking to Instagram, Sonali treated fans with a view of pictures of Ganges and wrote, “Ganges view. Slice of heaven.”

She was seen wearing a grey tracksuit and chose a no-makeup look as she left her hair open.

Rivers and mountains in the background added to the beauty of the scenic picture.

The actor also shared another close picture of herself and added a sun and black heart emoji with it.

Meanwhile, on the work front, she recently made her OTT debut with ZEE5’s series, ‘Broken News’. In the show, she played the role of a journalist named Amina Qureshi.

Sonali was also seen among the panel of judges along with Terence Lewis and Geeta Kapur on ‘India’s Best Dancer 3’.

She made her acting debut with the 1994 film ‘Aag’, which also starred Govinda, Shilpa Shetty and Shakti Kapoor. Her first big hit was the action romance ‘Diljale’ which was released in 1996 and later she was also part of movies such as ‘Major Saab’, ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Duplicate’, Zakhm’, ‘Chori Chori’and ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’, among others.

In 2018, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment in the USA. After undergoing treatment for months, she finally defeated the disease and came out victorious, and since then she has been raising awareness about cancer. (ANI)

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Ayodhya Mauritius MP Gungapersad

Only Modi Could Have Brought Ayodhya Back To Limelight: Mauritius MP Gungapersad

By LokMarg

Mauritius Member of Parliament (MP) Mahend Gungapersad expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stressing that “only PM Modi could have brought Ayodhya back to the limelight, as he has done it.”

Gungapersad, an MP for the Labour Party in Mauritius, is currently in India.

“You can’t imagine how proud I feel, like most of you and most Mauritians of the Hindu faith are very happy and proud that today Ramji has his mandir at the place where he was born,” he said.

“I can honestly say that only Modi could have brought Ayodhya back to the limelight, as he has done it. And the way the mandir is being built and has been built, we are proud of Modi ji for what you did,” he expressed.

Gungapersad also praised PM Modi’s efforts in the education sector.

“The education sector has blossomed under his tenure, and we can see it in every sector. The students were coming out of universities and schools. They reflect the New India, the new system of education, and for that, I need to congratulate Modiji and his, educational policies that are being implemented,” he added.

Further calling PM Modi a “charismatic leader”, he said that he is a leader who’s unique in his own way and has transformed India, the destiny of India, and the image of India.

“Today, people look up to India, and I think the one person who deserves our gratitude and our praise is Narendra Modi for whatever he has done,” he said and added that this new India has been made possible only because of his vision.

“I have no doubt that under his tenure, India has a very bright future as it is today. I think, well, there has been a change in the way people look at India. And thanks to Modi ji, many countries want to befriend India. They want to have very close ties with India,” he emphasised.

Highlighting the India-Mauritius relationship, Gungapersad said that the relationship is being further strengthened.

“We Mauritians have always entertained a very good relationship with India and under Modi’s tenure, this relationship is being further strengthened, and I’m thankful to Shri Narendra Modi for that,” he added.

“Modi hai toh mumkin hai,” Gungapersad said.

The city of Ayodhya is gearing up for the grand consecration ceremony.

As per temple officials, the consecration ceremony will be held over seven days, starting on January 16. On January 16, the host appointed by the temple trust, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, will conduct the atonement ceremony. The ‘Dashvidh’ bath, Vishnu worship, and offering to cows will be held on the banks of the Saryu River.

Following that, on January 17, a procession carrying the idol of Ram Lalla, depicting Lord Ram as a five-year-old, will reach Ayodhya. Devotees carrying Saryu river water in ‘Mangal Kalash’ will reach the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.

On January 18, formal rituals will kick off with the Ganesh Ambika puja, Varun puja, Matrika puja, Brahmin Varan, and Vastu puja.

On January 19, the holy fire will be lit, followed by the establishment of ‘Navagraha’ and a ‘havan’ (holy ritual surrounding the fire).

The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple will be washed with Saryu water on January 20, after which the Vaastu Shanti and ‘Annadhivas’ rituals will take place.

On January 21, the idol of Ram Lalla will undergo a ceremonial bath with water from 125 urns. On the final day, January 22, after the morning puja, the deity of Ram Lala will be consecrated in ‘Mrigashira Nakshatra’ in the afternoon. (ANI)

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IMD cold Wave Nothern INdia

North India Reels Under Cold Wave, Min Temp Between 7 And 12°C

By LokMarg

As the icy chill prevailed in the North Indian belt, the India Metrological Department (IMD) on Saturday recorded minimum temperatures in the range of 7-10°C over most parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, UP and north Rajasthan.

The minimum temperatures over most parts of Delhi, south Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also hovered between 7 and 10°C on Saturday morning, according to the national weather forecasting agency.

A bitter cold continues to hold vast swathes of North India in a tight embrace, sending shivers down spines and shrouding cities in dense fog.

Residents and locals have been pictured huddling around bonfires for warmth, their breath puffing into the frosty air as temperatures plummet to bone-chilling levels.

The cities up north, including Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur and the national capital reeled under a cold wave and dense fog on Saturday morning.

Significantly, a thick layer fog over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, north Rajasthan, and north Madhya Pradesh at 8.30 am was captured in a satellite image by the India Metrological Department (IMD).

The Met department warned that “dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to continue in many places in Uttar Pradesh, north Rajasthan and Bihar on December 31 morning”.

Foggy conditions are also likely in isolated pockets of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand from December 30 to January 2; Jharkhand on 30th; Odisha, Assam & Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura on Saturday and Sunday, the Met office predicted.

Passengers travelling to and from the national capital also faced difficulties due to the foggy weather conditions, as several flights and trains were delayed and diverted due to low visibility.

According to sources, around 80 flights were reported to be delayed due to weather conditions at Delhi’s IGI Airport till 8.30 am on Saturday. (ANI)

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Delhi Metro Rail Corporation WPL Finals

No Exit Allowed Fom Delhi’s Rajiv Chowk Metro After 9 pm On Dec 31: DMRC

By LokMarg

Amid the preparedness for the New Year celebration, exit from Delhi Metro’s Rajiv Chowk station will not be allowed after 9 pm on December 31, according to order by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

There is no restriction on the entry of the passengers and it will be allowed until the last train from the Rajiv Chowk Metro station on New Year’s Eve, said DMRC.

“Commuters are requested to plan their journey accordingly. Metro services on the rest of the metro network will continue to remain available as per the regular timetable,” DMRC said.

Earlier, Delhi police issued a traffic advisory ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in the national capital.

SS Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police (CP) (Traffic), said that on December 31, Delhi Police will ensure necessary arrangements and deployment of personnel at places where people are expected to gather.

Addressing a press conference, SS Yadav, Special CP (Traffic) said, “The deployment will be at locations like Connaught Place, India Gate, Aerocity, Qutub Minar, Greater Kailash, Saket Mall, Netaji Subhash Place, Mukherjee Nagar area, Vasant Kunj Mall, EDM Mall, Pacific Mall, Champa Gali, Hudson lane, Hauz Khas and other crowded places. Traffic will controlled in the Connaught Place area after 8 pm.”

He also appealed to the public to avoid drunk driving, stating that law enforcement agencies will take strict action.

“Drunken behaviour, drunk driving, and such cases have always been strictly looked upon by the police. This time, stricter actions will be taken,” he said.

New Year’s Eve is the last day of the year and New Year’s Day (January 1) marks the beguining of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar. (ANI)

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Nitish Kumar JDU

Dark Cloud Hanging Over JD(U) No Way Back For Nitish To NDA: Giriraj

By LokMarg

Weighing in on the big churn in the JD(U) on Friday, which saw Lalan Singh stepping down as the party’s national chairman and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returning to the top post, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday said there was a dark cloud hanging over the ruling party in the state.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, the senior BJP leader reiterated his earlier statement that all doors to Nitish’s return to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were closed.

To a specific question on whether the BJP-led NDA could consider the return of the Bihar CM to the saffron fold, the Union Minister said, “No, our doors are closed for him. There’s no way back for him to the NDA. You should put the same question to Vijay Choudhary-ji [of the JD(U)] and Manoj Jha-ji (RJD MP). We are neither happy (over rumours of Nitish’s return to NDA) nor weeping. It isn’t my business to talk about them.”

“All that I would say is that there’s a dark cloud hanging over the JD(U) as we head into a new year. The eclipse (over Nitish and his party) will not pass as long as (RJD patriarch and former Bihar CM) Lalu (Yada)-ji is there. Lalu-ji won’t rest till the ruling alliance (in Bihar) is broken,” Singh said.

Earlier, on Friday, Janata Dal (United) Friday saw a change at its helm as the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was unanimously re-elected as president of the party at a meeting of the party’s national executive in Delhi.

Later, speaking to reporters after the party’s national council meeting in Delhi, he said that he had accepted the post of the national president of the party.

“I have accepted the post of the national president of the party…” he said.

It came after Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, resigned from the post.

It is not the first time when Nitish Kumar has taken over as the president of the party. In 2016, he became party president after replacing Sharad Yadav. A year later, Kumar broke the ruling alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and joined hands with the BJP.

Last year, Nitish Kumar ended his five-year-long association with the BJP again and reunited with the RJD.

Later, JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi rejected rumours of a tiff between the two leaders.

“Our party remains united, there are no differences between Nitish Kumar and Lalan Singh,” he said.

“Four proposals were passed including a political caste-based census at the national level. In January, Nitish Kumar will start a campaign starting from Jharkhand. He authorised to negotiate with allies for seat sharing agreement,” Tyagi said.

Tyagi further called the Bihar CM the ‘prime minister of ideas’ of the Opposition bloc INDIA- an alliance forged for putting up a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance umbrella.

“(Bihar CM) Nitish Kumar is the convenor and Prime Minister of the ideas of the INDIA alliance. He has given so much priority to the issue of social justice,” Tyagi said.

Earlier, Bihar Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary confirmed the offer of resignation from Lalan Singh saying “There is a national executive meeting of JD(U) going on. If they accept our proposal, then Nitish Kumar will be the party president. Lalan Singh told CM Nitish Kumar that he will be busy with elections, so he wants to hand over the post of party president to him and Nitish Kumar accepted it…” (ANI)

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Ayodhya: Modi Inaugurates Maharishi Valmiki International Airport

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in the temple city of Ayodhya on Saturday after inaugurating the Ayodhya Railway Station.

PM Modi received grand welcome after he landed in the city with large number of supporters showering petals at his connvoy as he waved hands at the crowd.

Ayodhya’s grand airport has been built by the Airports Authority of India after signing a MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh in April last year.

Phase 1 of the state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1450 crore.

The airport’s terminal building has an area of 6500 sqm, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually.

The facade of the terminal building depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya. The interiors of the terminal building are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Bhagwan Shri Ram.

The terminal building of Ayodhya Airport is also equipped with various sustainability features, like an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, a solar power plant and many other such features have been provided to meet GRIHA – 5-star ratings.

The airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism and business activities while generating new employment opportunities.

AAI Chairman Sanjeev Kumar asserted that air connectivity is important for Ayodhya, adding that the Airport Authority is happy about the expansion.

“The airport has been built in Ayodhya and AAI has completed it in a record time of 20 months,” Sanjeev Kumar said while speaking to ANI in Ayodhya.

“Air connectivity is important for Ayodhya. With more passenger flow, the connectivity will also improve in Ayodhya. We at Airport Authority are extremely excited about this expansion, I believe the people of Ayodhya are also happy. PM Modi will inaugurate it today,” he added.

With the development of this airport, pilgrims visiting Shri Ram Mandir along with famous nearby pilgrim destinations like Ram ki Paidi, Hanuman Garhi, Nageshwar Nath Temple, Birla Temple, etc will benefit from this air connectivity.

The development of Ayodhya Airport will also facilitate businesses and pilgrimage tourism throughout the year and will improve the overall economy of the region.

Pointing to the scope of expanding the terminal at the newly constructed airport sometime in the future, the Airport Authority Chairman said, “Now Ayodhya will be accessible by air also. The terminal built now is small, it will be expanded in the future accordingly.”

As per a government release, the airport has a runway length of 2200m and would be suitable for the operation of A-321 type of Aircraft. Two link taxiways and an apron suitable for parking eight A321 type of aircraft along with a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) area are also constructed.

Under Phase 2, the development of a new terminal building of 50000 sqm is planned which will be able to serve 4000 passengers during peak hours and 60 lakh passengers annually.

The development will also include a runway extension from the existing 2200m to 3750m suitable for the operation of Code E (B-777) type of aircraft, a parallel taxi track and an apron for an additional 18 aircraft parking stands.

Ayodhya has been regarded as one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites (Mokshdayini Sapt Puris) for Hindus.

The new airport will serve as a Gateway for pilgrims and tourists and give impetus to the overall growth of the region.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi flagged off two new Amrit Bharat trains and six new Vande Bharat trains from Ayodhya Dham Station.

The PM dedicated to the nation three railway projects worth Rs 2300 crore to strengthen rail infrastructure.

Prime Minister Modi has broadly outlined his vision to develop modern, world-class infrastructure in Ayodhya, improve connectivity and revamp its civic facilities while also conforming to the rich history and heritage of the city. In realisation of this vision, a new airport, a new redeveloped railway station, newly redeveloped, widened and beautified roads, and other civic infrastructure are being inaugurated in the city.

The foundation stones for a number of other new projects will be laid, contributing to the beautification and revamp of civic facilities in and around the temple town. (ANI)

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