December 2023 - Page 7 of 40 - Lokmarg

Israel National Security Council Issues Advisory for Israelis In India

By LokMarg 27th December 2023

Following the bomb explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday, the Israel National Security Council issued an advisory for Israelis staying in India, particularly in New Delhi, advising them to avoid visiting crowded places and places that are used by Western or Israeli visitors.

Delhi Police received a call on Tuesday informing them that a blast had occurred near the Israel Embassy in the Chanakyapuri diplomatic area on Tuesday evening.

After the blast, a letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador was also found near the Israel Embassy in the national capital. The Delhi Police have sent relevant evidence for forensic evidence.

Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to India, Ohad Nakash Kaynar, said on Tuesday that the workers and the diplomats at the Israel embassy are safe and their security teams are investigating the matter further.

“On December 26, a bomb exploded near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. It is possible that this is an attack,” the Israel National Security Council highlighted.

Further stressing the recommendations for the Israelis living in India, the council advised the people to “try to avoid going to crowded places (malls, markets) and places identified as being used by Western/Jewish and Israeli elements.”

It also called for maintaining more public places, including restaurants, hotels and bars, to avoid externalising Israeli symbols.

“Avoid participating in events with many participants that are not secure,” the advisory added.

Moreover, it also asked people to avoid posting trip details on social media networks and posting photos and visit details before the trip and in real time.

Following the attack, the Israeli Deputy Ambassador said, “This evening, several minutes after five, an explosion occurred in close proximity of the embassy. All our workers are safe, and all our diplomats are safe. Our security teams are working in full cooperation with the local Delhi security and they will investigate the matter further.” (ANI)

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NIA Launches Probe Into Israel Embassy Blast Call Case

By LokMarg 27th December 2023

A day after Delhi Police received a call about a ‘blast’ being heard near the Israel Embassy, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been roped in to investigate the incident.

A team of NIA officials, along with the Delhi Special Cell and Dog Squad, reached the Israeli Embassy on Wednesday morning and initiated a probe into the alleged ‘blast’ call incident.

Meanwhile, Delhi police have zeroed in on two ‘suspects’ after examining the CCTV footage of the area.

Officials have however not confirmed the duo’s involvement in the same, sources said on Wednesday.

According to sources, two persons roaming near the Israel embassy on Tuesday evening have emerged as suspects in the alleged ‘blast’ incident.

“Two persons are seen roaming in the area in CCTV footage. Their role in the ‘blast’ call incident is not yet clear. We are trying to ascertain their identity and what were they doing in the area at the time of the call. Things will become clear only after their questioning,” they said.

Now the police are examining CCTVs of nearby areas to find out as to how the two suspects reached there and which route they took. They are also trying to ascertain the identity of the two suspects.

Delhi police found a letter addressed to the Israeli ambassador near the Israel Embassy on Tuesday evening in connection with the ‘blast’ call.

“A letter has been written in English to the Israeli Embassy in which threatening words are used. The group whose name is written on the letter is Sir Allah Resistance,” said sources.

Police are currently examining the letter and are yet to reveal details.

Delhi Police on Tuesday received a call that a ‘blast’ was heard near the Israel Embassy in the Chanakyapuri area, but officials said that nothing as such was found at the spot of the incident.

The call was received by the Delhi Fire Services at around 6 pm.

Soon, the Delhi police crime unit along with fire services and bomb disposal squad reached the spot. Experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also reached the spot.”The sound of a blast was heard by a security guard standing there,” FSL sources had said.

A security guard standing near the embassy said, “I heard a loud noise at around 5 pm. The noise was similar to a tyre burst. I also saw smoke going up near a tree.” Sources in the special cell however said that no such blast occurred there.

Meanwhile, security in the area has been increased in the area, and police are monitoring through CCTV cameras. (ANI)

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Priyank Kharge Attacks Shah For His On CAA Comment

By LokMarg 27th December 2023

Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge on Wednesday attacked the Central government and alleged that Amit Shah is the most incompetent Home Minister in independent India and that the latter hasn’t made a statement on the situation in Manipur and recent Parliament security breach incident.

Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, was replying to the Union Home Minister’s recent remarks on the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

“Amit Shah is perhaps the most incompetent Home Minister in independent India. How come he has time to comment on CAA and watch his son administer cricket matches in Ahmedabad, but does not want to comment on Manipur or comment on the Parliament security breach issue…Instead of trying to divert the topic, he should inform us where the investigation is leading to,” Kharge said while speaking to ANI.

Earlier on Tuesday, addressing a closed-door meeting of the West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party’s social media and IT wing members, Shah said that no one can stop the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as it is the law of the land.

In a video, which was released by BJP on social media platform, X, the Union Home Minister accused the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the refugees on the CAA issue.

“Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is often misleading the refugees over CAA. Today, I say in front of you all, (that) CAA is the law of the land. No one can stop this (from implementation). Everyone is going to get citizenship,” Shah said.

He said, “This is the commitment of our party, it is the duty of every Indian to protect the honour of those who have come from neighbouring countries after being a religious persecutor. It is the duty of every Indian, and this will happen.” (ANI)

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Kharge Holds Meet With Bihar Leaders In Delhi

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with Bihar Congress leaders here on Tuesday to discuss the strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Party General Secretary KC Venugopal was also present in the meeting.

Several leaders from the state attended the meeting.

Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh and newly appointed state in-charge Mohan Prakash, along with leaders like Ranjeet Ranjan, and Shakeel Ahmed, were among those present in the meeting.

After the meeting with Bihar Congress leaders, party chief Kharge took to X, and said that every worker of his party is ready to reach out to the people and live up to the aspirations of the people of Bihar for the progress, prosperity and peace of the state.

“The Grand Alliance government in Bihar is working firmly as per the expectations of the people of Bihar. We are committed to social justice. For the progress, prosperity and peace of Bihar, every Congress worker is ready to reach out to the people and live up to the aspirations of the people of Bihar,” he said.

Though the Congress-RJD-JDU-Left alliance is in power in the state, 17 of the 40 MPs in the state are from the BJP.

The opposition bloc INDIA has announced to contest the elections jointly. However, there is continuing suspense over a seat-sharing agreement between the partners in the opposition alliance.

Amid this suspense, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday that talks would be held with an ‘open mind’.

Speaking to ANI on Monday, Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, said, “Khule mann aur band muh se hi hum seat sharing pe baat aage challenge (We will carry forward seat-sharing talks with an open mind and refraining from public statements).”

The Congress leader added that different states would pose different challenges with regard to advancing seat-sharing talks and the discussions would hence be held, taking all aspects into consideration.

“The seat-sharing talks are ongoing and will continue. We will do what needs to be done. There are different conditions and challenges in different states. We will be having discussions on seat sharing, keeping in mind the different (political) realities there,” Ramesh said.

While the INDIA partners came together for their fourth meeting in the national capital recently, the potentially thorny issue of seat-sharing was left unaddressed. (ANI)

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Vinesh Phogat To Return Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

After ace wrestler Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri, Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday announced that she will also return her Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Award.

India’s wrestling has seen a major shift since the conclusion of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections last week.

Former WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s aide Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president on Thursday, which caused a major disappointment among the wrestlers who were protesting against former WFI head, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

After Singh’s victory in the WFI elections, emotional Sakshi broke down as she left the venue announcing her retirement from wrestling while addressing a press conference in the national capital.

However, the WFI body witnessed a major twist after the Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly elected body. The decision came close on the heels of the newly elected WFI chief Sanjay Singh announcing the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals at Nandini Nagar in the Gond district of Uttar Pradesh by the end of the year.

In light of the recent developments, Vinesh took to X, to announce that she will be returning her Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Award.

She addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and talked about the struggles that she has faced and wrote, “Respected Prime Minister, Sakshi Malik has quit wrestling and Bajrang Punia has returned his Padma Shri. The whole country knows why the players who won Olympic medals for the country were forced to do all this, and you are the head of the country, so this matter must have reached you too.”

“Prime Minister, I am Vinesh Phogat, the daughter of your house and I am writing this letter to you to tell you about the condition I am in for the last one year. I remember the year 2016, when Sakshi Malik won a medal in the Olympics, your government made her the brand ambassador of “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”. When this was announced, all the women players of the country were happy and were sending congratulatory messages to each other. Today, ever since Sakshi had to leave wrestling, I am remembering that year 2016 again and again. Are we female players made only to appear on government advertisements? We have no objection to those advertisements being published, because from the slogans written in them, it seems that your government wants to work seriously for the upliftment of daughters. I had dreamed of winning a medal in the Olympics, but now this dream is also fading. I would just pray that this dream of the upcoming women players is definitely fulfilled,” Vinesh added.

Vinesh went on to talk about the remarks former WFI chief Brij Bhushan made. He called wrestlers, ‘Manthara’ who was the maid of Queen Kaikeyi in the Hindu epic of Ramayana.

“But our lives are not at all like those fancy advertisements. What the women wrestlers have experienced in the last few years must have made one understand how suffocated we are living. Those fancy flex boards of your advertisements must have become old and now Sakshi has also retired. The exploiter has also declared his dominance, and has also raised slogans in a very crude manner. Just spare 5 minutes of your life and listen to the statements given by that man (Brij Bhushan Singh) in the media, you will know what all he has done. He has called women wrestlers ‘Manthra’, has openly admitted on TV that he has made women wrestlers uncomfortable and has not left even a single opportunity to humiliate us women players. What is more serious is that it has forced many female wrestlers to step back. This is very scary,” Vinesh said.

“Many times I tried to forget this entire incident but it is not so easy. Sir, when I met you, I told you all this too. We have been dragging ourselves on the streets for the last one year for justice. No one is taking care of us. Sir, our medals and awards are said to be worth Rs 15, but these medals are dearer to us than our lives. When we won medals for the country, the whole country considered us proud. Now when we raised our voice for our justice, we are being called traitors. Prime Minister, I want to ask you, are we traitors,” Vinesh added.

Olympic medallist Bajrang on Friday returned his Padma Shri as a mark of protest against Sanjay Singh. Sakshi claimed that she didn’t know why Bajrang returned his award but she also stated that her awards have started to make her feel “disgusted”.

“I don’t know under what condition Bajrang would have decided to return his Padma Shri. But I am suffocating inside after seeing that photo of his. After that now I too have started feeling disgusted with my awards. When I received these awards, my mother distributed sweets in our neighborhood and told my aunts and uncles that Vinesh’s news had come on TV and they should watch it. My daughter looks so beautiful receiving the award.

“Many times I get scared thinking that when my aunt sees our condition on TV, what will she say to my mother? No mother in India would want her daughter to be in this condition. Now I want to get rid of the image of me receiving the award, because that was a dream and what is happening with us now is the reality. I was given Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjun Award which have no meaning in my life now. Every woman wants to live life with respect. Therefore Prime Minister Sir, I want to return my Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjun Award to you so that these awards do not become a burden on us in the path of living with dignity,” Vinesh concluded in her letter. (ANI)

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India Cargo Vessel Attackers Will Be Dealt With: Rajnath

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

The government has taken the recent drone attack on a ship in the Arabian Sea very seriously, and, whoever carried out the strike will be tracked down and dealt with, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Mumbai on Tuesday.

“Nowadays turbulence in the sea has increased a lot. India’s growing economic and strategic power has filled some forces with jealousy and hatred. The Government of India has taken the recent drone attack on ‘MV Chem Pluto’ in the Arabian Sea and the earlier attack on ‘MV Sai Baba’ in the Red Sea very seriously. The Indian Navy has increased surveillance on the sea. Whoever has carried out this attack, we will find them even if it is from the seabed. Those behind these attacks would be brought to justice,” the Defence Minister said.

India plays the role of being the net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean Region, Rajnath said adding that the Indian government will ensure that the maritime trade in this region rises from the sea to the heights of the sky.

With the friendly countries, India will keep the Sea Lanes safe and secure for maritime commerce, he said.

Singh was the chief guest at the commissioning of INS Imphal at the Naval Dockyard. The event was attended by Chief of Naval Staff R Hari Kumar, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, and other senior officers.

“I believe that the commissioning of INS IMPHAL will further strengthen India’s naval power. It has been named after IMPHAL, which represents the Glory of the Northeast. It was sanctioned in Delhi, which is in North India,” the Raksha Mantri said while addressing Navy senior officers and the public during the event.

“The 15B project under which INS IMPHAL comes includes the names of four big cities of the country, i.e. Visakhapatnam, Murmugaon, Imphal and Surat. INS IMPHAL itself comes under the Visakhapatnam class, representing South India. It was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, which is in Mumbai, i.e. Western India. So it could be said the glory of North-South, East-West is reflected in INS IMPHAL, which goes to further showcase the country’s unity and integrity of India,” the Raksha Mantri added.

He said, in his view, one of the biggest features of INS IMPHAL is that it has been completely conceptualised, designed and constructed in India, further affirming the larger goal of ‘Make in India’.

Brahmos Aerospace has installed Brahmos missile on INS IMPHAL while Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has installed torpedo tube launchers on it. Rapid gun mount has been installed by BHEL. Medium-range missiles have been installed by BEL. Apart from this, many start-ups were also involved in its construction. Inputs from MSMEs have also been included in this. Basically, INS IMPHAL has been created by a combination of different forces of India, Rajnath said.

“Recently, Prime Minister Modi met the Navy colleagues in Sindhudurg and for a long time, only land-based threats to the western and northern borders were given priority. Due to this, attention was given to the Army and Air Force, but not that much attention was given to the Navy. But under the leadership of the Prime Minister, his vision underlined the importance of the Navy, and today the Navy is getting equal attention as the rest of the armed forces of India,” he said.

INS IMPHAL reflects India’s growing maritime power. Rajanth expressed confidence that INS IMPHAL will further strengthen the principle of ‘Jalmev Yasya, Balmev Tasya’, which stands for, “He who rules over the seas is all powerful”, in the Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)

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Ram Temple opening Is politicisation of religious event: CPM’s Brinda Karat

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Tuesday her party would skip the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury is among the Opposition leaders invited to the event next year.

Defending the decision to give the grand consecration ceremony, which is to be headlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a miss, the veteran Left leader said her party doesn’t subscribe to combining religion with politics and neither does it stand for the ‘politicisation’ of a religious event.

“Our party will not attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We respect the religious sentiments of the people but they (BJP) are combining religion with politics. This is an attempt to politicise a religious programme. This is not right,” Karat, a member of the CPI(M)’s Politburo, told ANI on Monday.

“Using religion as a political weapon or for advancing a political agenda is not right,” she added.

“It is not right what these people are doing, it’s purely political,” the former Rajya Sabha MP said.

“Politics and religion must be separated and kept at a distance. Mixing them only advances the RSS agenda. When religion is used is a political weapon or a tool to advance an idea or agenda, it loses respect,” Karat added.

On whether the CPI(M) was boycotting the event, the veteran Left leader said, “There is no question of boycott. We have an understanding that using a religious function as a political weapon isn’t right.”

Yechury recently received a formal invite from the chairman of Ayodhya Ram Mandir Construction Committee, Nripendra Misra, for the consecration ceremony.

He is one among several top Opposition leaders, including former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to have received an invitation to attend the grand temple opening.

The Trust has also invited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, to the event.

The attendance of senior Congress leaders has not yet been confirmed by the party.

The ceremony scheduled for 22 January will witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple. It is expected to be attended by hundreds of officials including the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trust has also invited 4,000 saints of all sects for the ceremony.

Ahead of the consecration ceremony, the Uttaradhikari of Janaki Temple on the first week of January will take offerings locally called as “Bhaar” to Ayodhya, as a part of the ritual.

On January 22, one of the three idols being made from two stones brought from Karnataka and Rajasthan will be placed inside the sanctorum of the grand temple. The best idol from three stones will be selected in the first week of January for the consecration ceremony.

The trust has decided to enthrone the idol of Lord Ram at the sanctum sanctorum between noon and 12.45 pm on January 22. Lakshmi Kant Dixit, a Vedic priest, is scheduled to perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony on the day.

Bolstering the relation between Janakpur and Ayodhya with the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will further strengthen ties between Ayodhya and Janakpur, the heir of Janaki Temple, Ram Roshan Das opined earlier. (ANI)

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Nora Shares Glimpses From ‘Crakk’ Dubbing Session

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

Actor and dancer Nora Fatehi shared a few glimpses from the dubbing session of her upcoming action thriller film ‘Crakk’ on Tuesday.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a picture in which she could be seen facing her back at the camera. She wore a blue T-shirt paired with matching pants.

Nora captioned the picture with a “Work in progress” sticker and wrote, “#Crakk.”

She also shared a video of her stories in which she said, “And today is the last day of dub. We’re finished. It’s all done.”

Helmed by Aditya Datt, the makers recently unveiled the teaser for the film, which received good responses from the audiences.

Apart from Nora, the film also stars Vidyut Jammwal, Arjun Rampal and Amy Jackson in the lead roles

‘Crakk’ is a survival thriller. Aditya Datt, who has helmed the film, is also known for films like Aashiq Banaya Apne (2005) and Table No. 21 (2013).

As per a statement, ‘Crakk’ is the journey of a man from the slums of Mumbai “to the world of extreme underground sports”.

‘Crakk’ also marks the reunion of the dynamic duo Vidyut and director Aditya Datt after Commando 3.

It is presented by Reliance Entertainment and produced by Action Hero Films & PZ pictures, produced by Vidyut Jammwal, Parag Sanghvi, and Action Hero Films & Team, co-produced by Adi Sharmaa and Aditya Chowksey.

‘Crakk’ is all set to hit theatres on February 23, 2024. (ANI)

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Sidharth-Kiara Head For New Year Vacation

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

On Tuesday morning, actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani were spotted at the Mumbai airport, all set to celebrate New Year at an undisclosed location.

For the airport look, Kiara opted for a white sweatshirt that she paired with matching joggers. Her husband, Sidharth, on the other hand, wore a black T-shirt that he teamed with a blue and black checkered shirt.

Before entering the airport, the star couple happily posed for the paps.

Sidharth and Kiara also celebrated Christmas in a special way.

On Christmas, Kiara treated her Instagram followers to a lovey-dovey picture of herself and Sidharth. In the picture, the couple can be seen sharing a warm hug. Kiara can be seen wearing a red dress with a reindeer hairband while her husband Sidharth complemented her in a black t-shirt and red pants. Sidharth can be seen planting a kiss on his wife’s cheek.

Sidharth and Kiara tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on February 7, 2023, at Suryagarh Palace in Rajasthan. The two fell in love with each other during the shoot of their film ‘Shershaah’.

In 2022, Sidharth and Kiara appeared on different episodes of Koffee with Karan Season 7, where Karan Johar got them talking about their relationship for the first time.

While Kiara confirmed that they were “more than friends”, Sidharth said, “I am manifesting a brighter and happier future. If it was her, it would be great.”

Sharing their wedding pictures, the duo wrote, “Ab humari permanent booking hogayi hai.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sidharth will be seen in his upcoming film ‘Yodha’. Apart from that, he will also be making his digital debut with the upcoming web series ‘Indian Police Force’. Helmed by Rohit Shetty, the series also stars Vivek Oberoi and Shilpa Shetty in pivotal roles and will stream exclusively on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video.

On the other hand, Kiara will be seen in the upcoming ‘Game Changer’ alongside ‘RRR’ actor Ram Charan and reportedly in an action thriller film ‘War 2’ alongside Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR. (ANI)

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Dua Lipa Seeks Blessings At Bangla Sahib, Visits Humayun Tomb

By LokMarg 26th December 2023

Singer Dua Lipa is currently enjoying her vacation in India along with her family members.

After recently visiting Rajasthan, she headed to New Delhi and sought blessings at the famous Bangla Sahib Gurudwara and visited the Humayun’s tomb.

Taking to Instagram, Dua Lipa’s father Dukagjin Lipa shared a string of pictures from their outing in the national capital which he captioned, “The Indian journey starts at New Delhi #humayunstomb.”

The images include snapshots of the Humayun’s Tomb and Bangla Sahib.

Soon after he shared the pictures, Dua’s fans and friends swamped down the comment section and dropped red heart emoticons.

A fan commented, “What a beautiful family!!!”

A user wrote, “Perfect family! We love you all!”

Recently, Dua wished everyone a happy holiday season with pictures from Rajasthan.

In the first photo, Dua is posing against the backdrop of a beautiful painting of the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna.

“Happy Holidays from me to youuuuu sending love light health and happiness for the year ahead x,” she captioned the post, leaving Indian fans wondering when Dua visited India. Dua also did not mention anything about her trip to Rajasthan in the caption.

“Is she in India ?” a social media user commented.

“grlll u didn’t tell us you were in india,” another one wrote.

Dua Lipa was last seen in India as she made her debut performance in the country back in November 2019. (ANI)

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