January 2024 - Page 9 of 39 - Lokmarg

Modi May Claim Full Credit For Bharat Ratna To Karpoori Thakur: Nitish

By LokMarg 24th January 2024

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the latter might “claim full credit” for conferring the Bharat Ratna on former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur.

Addressing a rally organised by the JD(U) on the birth anniversary of the former Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar highlighted his relentless efforts for the highest civilian award for his political mentor.

“Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur has been conferred with ‘Bharat Ratna’. We had been demanding ‘Bharat Ratna’ for him since 2007 till 2023 from every government including the previous Congress government and the present government But they had not done so. Now, they gave him a ‘Bharat Ratna’. I congratulate the PM and Central government for accepting our demand,” Nitish Kumar said.

Bihar CM said that PM Modi called late leader’s son Ramnath Thakur, who is presently in JD(U), but did not make an effort to make a call to him.

“I was told by Ramnath Thakur, my party colleague and the late leader’s son, that the Prime Minister had called him up after the announcement. The PM has not called me so far. It is possible that he may claim full credit for the move. Be that as it may, I thank the PM and his government for fulfilling a demand I have been raising since I assumed power in Bihar,” Kumar said.

He further said that Karpoori Thakur “never tried to promote” any of his family members since he drew inspiration from late Karpoori Thakur who was known for strong moral values in public life.

“It was also Karpoori Thakur who inspired our commitment to the cause of Other Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes,” he added.

Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday announced that the President is pleased to award Bharat Ratna on Karpoori Thakur (posthumously).

Karpoori Thakur was born in 1924 in one of the most backward sections of society, the Nai Samaj. He was a remarkable leader whose political journey was marked by his unwavering commitment to the marginalised sections of society.

He served as the Chief Minister of Bihar and was a key figure in the struggle against social discrimination and inequality. His commitment to affirmative action gave representation and opportunities to the poor, oppressed, exploited and deprived sections of the country. (ANI)

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Assam Rifles Soldier In Manipur Opens Fire On Colleagues Before Shooting Self

By LokMarg 24th January 2024

An Assam Rifles jawan opened fire on his colleagues, injuring six of them in south Manipur before shooting himself on Wednesday, officials said.

The firing incident took place at an Assam Rifles Battalion, deployed close to the India-Myanmar border, according to a statement released by Inspectorate General Assam Rifles (IGAR) today.

As per the information from the IGAR, all the injured soldiers were non-Manipuris and they were rushed to the military hospital in Churachandpur for further treatment.

The jawans have now been reported to be stable.

“In light of the ongoing ethnic strife in Manipur, it is important to share the details of the incident transparently to dispel any potential rumours and avoid any speculation,” said the IGAR official statement.

“This unfortunate incident should not be correlated with ongoing conflict, given the fact that none of the injured are from Manipur,” the statement read.

The central paramilitary force said that an investigation into the incident has been ordered to ascertain the facts.

“All Assam Rifles battalions have mixed class composition including those belonging to various communities from Manipur. All personnel have been staying and operating together despite polarization of society to maintain peace and stability in Manipur,” it added.

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic strife between the Meitei and the Kuki-Zo tribal communities since May 2023. (ANI)

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Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath Temple: ASI Survey Report To Be Made Public

By LokMarg 24th January 2024

The Varanasi district Court on Wednesday asked that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report be made public today and the hard copy be provided to both sides.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, said, “Today, the court heard both sides and a consensus was reached that the hard copy of the ASI’s report will be provided to both sides…The ASI objected to providing the report via email. So, both sides agreed to get the hard copy of the report.”

“The court listened to both sides today. After hearing both sides, an agreement was reached that a certified copy of ASI’s report be made available to both sides. As soon as the court passes the order, our legal team will apply for the certified copy…”

Earlier on January 16, the Supreme Court allowed an application of Hindu women petitioners seeking direction for cleaning the entire area of ‘wazukhana’ of Gyanvapi mosque where the alleged ‘Shivling’ was found and maintaining hygienic condition.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said the area of ‘wazukhana’ shall be cleaned under the supervision of district administration Varanasi, having regard to the previous orders of the apex court.

Gyanvapi mosque management committee said it supports cleaning of the water tank, which has remained sealed on apex court’s orders for nearly two years.

The area of ‘wazukhana’ was sealed in 2022 on a Supreme Court order after the discovery of what was said to be a ‘Shivling’.

A structure — claimed to be a “Shivling” by the Hindu side and a “fountain” by the Muslim side — was found in the mosque premises on May 16, 2022, during a court-mandated survey of the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The ‘Wazu’ area of the Gyanvapi mosque is the centre of the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute between Hindus and Muslim parties in the case since the Hindu parties claim that ‘Shivling’ has been found in that spot, however, the Muslim side disputed the same and said that it is only a water fountain. (ANI)

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INDIA Bloc Will Resolve Issues: RJD, AAP After TMC Pulls Plug On Alliance In Bengal

By LokMarg 24th January 2024

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to pull the plug on any alliance in Bengal has sent the INDIA bloc into a tizzy with other constituents choosing to play down any rift in the alliance.

RJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Manoj Jha claimed that the statement was given in some particular situation and said that INDIA parties will solve the conflict.

“Please wait for some time…Maybe the statement was given in some particular situation…If there is a conflict then the alliance (INDIA) would solve it…” said Manoj Jha

The AAP which itself is locked in hectic negotiations with the Congress on seat sharing in Delhi and Punjab also feels that the two parties and the alliance will resolve any differences.

AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said “TMC is a big party in West Bengal, Congress and the Left has always been fighting against them. So seat sharing with TMC will be a little difficult. The issues between them will be resolved. Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi are committed to the success of the INDIA bloc. We are hopeful that all parties in the INDIA bloc will fight elections together…”

The BJP which is watching the alliance self-destroy from a distance says the alliance is one of confusion and corruption.

“Allies of INDI themselves are demolishing the palace of their alliance every day. They strike up a friendship after coming to Delhi but wrestle in West Bengal…A new conflict is seen everywhere…Even after 5 meetings, they neither have a flag, agenda, leader, nor policy or intention. They are just full of confusion, corruption and people who further family profession…People have decided to support those who have a mission and not those who have a confusion every day” BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.

Earlier, the INDIA bloc suffered a huge setback on Wednesday as Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said that her party declared that the Trinamool Congress would fight alone in Bengal.

“I had no discussions with the Congress party. I have always said that in Bengal, we will fight alone. I am not concerned about what will be done in the country but we are a secular party and in Bengal, we will alone will defeat BJP. I gave many proposals but they rejected them from the beginning. From then, we have decided to fight the elections in Bengal alone” the TMC supremo said.

The Bengal Chief Minister also claimed she had not been informed of Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra passing through Bengal, contrary to claims by the Congress that they had invited INDIA bloc parties to join the Yatra.

“They did not even bother to inform me that they will be coming to West Bengal as a matter of courtesy even though I am a part of the INDIA bloc. So there is no with relation with me as far as Bengal is concerned” Mamata Banerjee said

“We will decide on what to do at the all-India level. We are a secular party. We will do whatever we can to defeat the BJP. The alliance does not comprise any one party. We have said that they should fight in some states and the regional parties should be left to fight alone in the other states. They should not interfere” she added.

The breakdown in Trinamool and the Congress came after state unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdury continued his attack on the Bengal Chief Minister.

In a news conference on Tuesday Adhir Chowdhury claimed that in the 2011 elections, Mamata Banerjee came to power with the mercy of Congress.

“This time, the elections will not be fought at the mercy of Mamata Banerjee. The Congress defeated the BJP and TMC in the two seats that Mamata Banerjee is leaving. The Congress party knows how to contest the elections. Mamta Banerjee is an opportunist; she came to power in 2011, with the mercy of Congress,” the Congress MP said.

Rahul Gandhi who is in Assam as part of his Nyay Yatra tried to quell the damage been done by the state unit chief’s repeated attacks by insisting that he had a good relationship with the TMC supremo.

“The negotiations on seat-sharing is underway, I don’t want to comment here. But Mamata Banerjee is very close to me and our party. Sometimes our leaders say something, their leaders say something, and it goes on. It’s a natural thing. Such comments won’t matter and these are not things that are going to disrupt things,” Rahul Gandhi had said on Tuesday.

The Trinamool Congress reportedly was willing to offer the Congress a maximum of three Lok Sabha seats of the 42 seats in Bengal. In the 2019 elections the Congress had won two Lok Sabha seats while the TMC had won 22 seats.

With this announcement, of going alone, by Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday it appears that the doors are closed for the Congress in Bengal. For the INDIA bloc stitching together alliances has proven as stumbling block and it appears that now the alliance may not be able to put together a united front against the BJP. (ANI)

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No Alliance In Bengal: Mamata

By LokMarg 24th January 2024

The INDIA bloc suffered a huge setback on Wednesday as Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said that her party declared that the Trinamool Congress would fight alone in Bengal.

“I gave many proposals but they rejected them from the beginning. From then, we have decided to fight the elections in Bengal alone.”

“They did not even bother to inform me that they will be coming to West Bengal as a matter of courtesy even though I am a part of the INDIA bloc. So there is no relation with me as far as Bengal is concerned” Mamata Banerjee said.

The breakdown in Trinamool and the Congress came after state unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdury continued his attack on the Bengal Chief Minister.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Adhir Chowdhury claimed that in the 2011 elections, Mamata Banerjee came to power with the mercy of Congress.

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AAP Will Win All 13 Seats In Punjab: Mann

By LokMarg 24th January 2024

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

“In the 2024 Lok Sabha election…AAP will get 13 seats (in Punjab),” Mann said at a media briefing.

Mann’s remarks came amid seat-sharing talks between AAP and Congress for the Lok Sabha polls, expected in April-May this year. The two parties have reportedly paused seat-sharing talks in the border state.

Mann’s remarks are being seen as a setback to the seat-sharing talks between the two parties. Punjab has 13 Lok Sabha seats. Both AAP and Trinamool Congress are part of the INDIA bloc.

The AAP leader was asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks that her party Trinamool Congress would fight the Lok Sabha polls alone.

Mamata Banerjee said earlier in the day that the made by the party had not been accepted and Trinamool Congress would fight it alone in West Bengal.

The Bengal Chief Minister also claimed she had not been informed of Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra passing through Bengal.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has continued to attack the Bengal Chief Minister.

In a news conference on Tuesday Adhir Chowdhury claimed that in the 2011 elections, Mamata Banerjee came to power with the mercy of Congress.

Rahul Gandhi who is in Assam as part of his Nyay Yatra tried to contain the damage by insisting that he had a good relationship with the TMC supremo.

The Trinamool Congress reportedly was willing to offer the Congress two to three Lok Sabha seats of the 42 seats in Bengal. In the 2019 elections, the Congress had won two Lok Sabha seats while the TMC had won 22 seats. (ANI)

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UK Lambasts China For Persecution Of Uyghurs, Tibetans

By LokMarg 23rd January 2024

The United Kingdom on Tuesday severly criticised China for the persecution, arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans and asked Beijing to “guarantee an impartial judiciary” and implement measures to allow genuine freedom of religion without fear of surveillance and torture.

Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has delivered a set of four strong recommendations to China targeting various aspects of human rights violations, urging China to address key concerns.

Manley called to “cease the persecution, arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans.”

He also urged China to “allow genuine freedom of religion or belief and cultural expression, without fear of surveillance, torture, forced labour or sexual violence and implement OHCHR recommendations on Xinjiang.”

The UK strongly called for the repeal of China’s national security law in Hong Kong, aligning with UN suggestions. Manley specifically called for the cessation of prosecutions, including that of media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

“Repeal the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong as recommended by the UN and cease prosecutions including of Jimmy Lai,” he said, giving recommendations to China.

The UK representative also called for a “guarantee of an impartial judiciary,” demanding an end to “harassment of lawyers, the use of the death penalty, and residential surveillance in designated locations.”

UK’s Manley urged China to lift “restrictions on civil society and independent media,” while also calling for an immediate halt to forced repatriations and the cessation of targeting human rights defenders.

“Cease the restrictions of civil society and independent media and forced repatriations and stop targetting human rights defenders,” he also said.

A recent report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has shed light on a troubling pattern in China, where nearly half of the journalists imprisoned in 2023 were identified as Uyghurs.

As many as 44 journalists are in jail and about half of them are Uyghurs. This shows Beijing’s poor press freedom record and its human rights abuses against the majority-Muslim ethnic group, report added.

The data, offering a global overview of journalists incarcerated for their work as of December 1, paints a concerning picture of press freedom in China, especially concerning its treatment of the majority-Muslim ethnic group.

Notably, China’s human rights record is facing international scrutiny during the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, taking place from January 22 to February 2.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-review process under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council, where UN Member States assess each other’s human rights records, their fulfilment of human rights obligations and commitments, and provide recommendations to the State under review.

This is China’s fourth appearance before this mechanism. The last one was in November 2018. At the time, countries called out the existence of mass detention camps for Uyghurs a few months after they were revealed by a UN committee.

During China’s 3rd UPR in November 2018, China received 346 recommendations from 150 countries, and accepted 284 of them, with many questionably noted as ‘accepted and already implemented.’

Despite a seemingly high acceptance rate, China broadly rejected recommendations on the rights of Uyghurs and Tibetans, cooperation with the UN and unrestricted UN access to all regions of the country, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention, the death penalty and the ratification of international treaties.

Since 2018, mounting human rights abuses have been largely documented by a range of UN human rights bodies.

In the absence of a UN Human Rights Council debate on the human rights situation in China, the UPR is a rare moment of global scrutiny of the country’s human rights crisis. (ANI)

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Chairpersons Of 250 PACS To Witness R-Day Parade As Special Guest

By LokMarg 23rd January 2024

The chairpersons of around 250 beneficiary Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS) and their spouses from 24 states and two Union Territories (UTs) across the country will witness the Republic Day Parade 2024 at Kartavya Path as “Special Guest” of the Government of India.

The Ministry of Cooperation, in coordination with the Ministry of Defence, is hosting the special guests.

During their stay in the Capital, the Special Guests will interact with the Minister of State for Cooperation BL Verma, followed by dinner on January 25. After the Republic Day Parade, they will participate in “Bharat Parva” in the evening on January 26, said the Ministry of Cooperation.

The Ministry of Cooperation said it is committed to ensuring a memorable experience for the Special Guests during their stay in Delhi and also showcasing the success of the “Computerization of PACS” project.

“This event will inspire the participating PACS to work with renewed vigour towards realizing the vision of ‘Sahakar se Samriddhi’,” said the Ministry.

To realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahakar se Samriddhi”, the Ministry of Cooperation, under the leadership of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah, has taken more than 54 initiatives in a short span of time.

The “Computerization of PACS” project is one of the major initiatives of the Ministry under which 63,000 PACS are being computerized with a total financial outlay of Rs 2,516 crores. Till now, more than 12,000 PACS have been computerized across 28 states and UTs and are already on-boarded on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software developed by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). (ANI)

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The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

CISF To Be Deployed At Parliament Soon

By LokMarg 23rd January 2024

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be deployed at the Parliament soon, so the familiarisation training of its 140 personnel has already started, officials said on Tuesday.

As per the officials, these 140 CISF personnel are to take over the frisking of visitors and baggage at the entrance of the Parliament.

Officials said, “It is expected that the CISF may be deployed at the Parliament from the upcoming Budget Session beginning on January 31.”

With its fresh major deployment, the CISF would be the new entrant in Parliament security setup, given its proven expertise in access control, frisking, and scanning at airports across the country, Delhi Metro, and vital installations, including monuments with high footfall.

The development comes months after a serious security breach in Parliament that saw two people jump into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitor’s gallery and pump yellow smoke from canisters packed in their shoes during the Winter Session of Parliament held in December last year. Eight security personnel were suspended over the incident.

Soon after the incident, the CISF was given “in principle” approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to conduct a joint survey of Parliament premises and its buildings for “regular deployment” of CISF security and fire wings “on a comprehensive pattern.”

The CISF currently protects 358 establishments across the country and is also engaged in VIP security. It is also offering security consulting to various entities.

The final approval of the CISF security deployment plan and induction would come from the Lok Sabha secretariat, which oversees the security of Parliament premises. As of now, the security agencies involved in guarding Parliament are the Parliament Security Service, Delhi Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Parliament Duty Group.

Personnel from these individual agencies are on deputation to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The involvement of the CISF in managing access control, frisking, and screening of baggage and articles at airports, metros, and crowded public monuments suggests it is considered the most capable force for these tasks, though it’s not explicitly stated whether it will replace any existing agencies.

The CISF also has expertise with all the modern gadgets for access control and screening, for which a pressing need is being felt in the event of the December 13 security breach.

The CISF came into existence in 1969 to provide integrated security cover to certain sensitive public sector undertakings with a strength of only three battalions. The force has since grown into a premier multi-skilled organisation with a present strength of 1,77,075 personnel.

The CISF at present provides security cover to 358 establishments throughout the length and breadth of the country. The CISF also has its own fire wing, which provides services to 114 of the above establishments.

Currently, the CISF is also providing security cover at 68 airports.

The CISF security umbrella includes India’s most critical infrastructure facilities, like nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, and power plants.

In addition, the CISF also protects important government buildings, iconic heritage monuments, and the Delhi Metro.

The CISF also has a specialised VIP security vertical, providing round-the-clock security to important protectees.

After the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008, the mandate of the CISF was broadened to include providing security cover to private corporate establishments as well.

The CISF also provides security consulting services to private entities, and its services are much in demand. The CISF sets very high standards for itself, both in terms of the professional calibre of its personnel and in terms of adopting cutting-edge technology to enhance security.

The CISF is well equipped to successfully respond to any security threat, including terrorism. The hallmark of the force is to continuously evolve and reinvent itself to keep in tune with the changing security environment in the country.

The CISF is also the only Central Armed Police Force with a daily public interface–in the airports, in the Delhi Metro, and in the iconic monuments–and is hence very conscious of the requirement to balance security procedures with a people-friendly approach.

The CISF is committed to constantly upgrading its professional skills, and we welcome suggestions and feedback from the public as well as our clients to improve our services. (ANI)

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UN: China Being Grilled On Human Rights During Universal Periodic Review

By LokMarg 23rd January 2024

China’s human rights record is facing international scrutiny during the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, taking place from January 22 to February 2.

This review is a unique opportunity for member states to hold China accountable for its human rights obligations, according to analysts and rights advocates.

During China’s 3rd UPR in November 2018, China received 346 recommendations from 150 countries, and accepted 284 of them, with many questionably noted as ‘accepted and already implemented.’

Since 2018, mounting human rights abuses have been largely documented by a range of UN human rights bodies.

After the narrow defeat of a resolution calling for a debate on the situation in Xinjiang at the Human Rights Council, in September 2022, the UPR is one of the few spaces left where China’s record can be openly discussed, challenged and scrutinised on the basis of UN information.

This is also the first UPR session since the publication in 2022 of the UN ‘Xinjiang Report’, which found that Beijing’s actions against Uyghurs and other minorities could amount to ‘crimes against humanity’, and which Chinese diplomacy has worked hard to suppress.

In the absence of a UN Human Rights Council debate on the human rights situation in China, the UPR is a rare moment of global scrutiny of the country’s human rights crisis.

After the review, the government will review the recommendations it received, and decide which ones it commits to implement or not. During the June 2024 session of the Human Rights Council, China will have the opportunity to provide further information, and a limited number of governments and NGOs will be able to make comments. The Council will then adopt China’s UPR report.

The Chinese government is expected to implement accepted recommendations until its next UPR in 2029. The government is also encouraged by the UN to report on the status of implementation halfway through, by publishing a ‘mid-term report’; yet, China has never done it for past reviews. (ANI)

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