Month: February 2024

Akhilesh Yadav congress

SP To Contest Election On 63 Seats, Cong On 17 In UP: SP Leader Mehrotra

By LokMarg

After Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, party leader Ravidas Mehrotra also confirmed an alliance with the Congress, for the Lok Sabha Election 2024 together.

Sharing details of the alliance, Mehrotra said that the Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

“Samajwadi Party and Congress will contest Lok Sabha elections together. This will strengthen the INDI alliance and INDIA will form its government in 2024. The opposition parties will contest the election together. We have tried to stop the scattering of non-BJP votes,” Mehrotra told ANI.

“Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats. We will try to get all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh,” he added.

The Samajwadi Party leader also alleged the BJP-led central government for misusing the central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), etc.

“INDIA bloc will form its government in 2024. The BJP-led central government is trying to weaken the opposition parties by misusing the central agencies such as ED, CBI, etc.,” he said.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav confirmed an alliance with the Congress, assuring that details would be revealed soon. He stated that there was no conflict between the two parties, emphasizing that all would be clarified in due course.

“All is well that ends well. Yes, there will be an alliance. There is no conflict. Everything will be out and clear soon,” Yadav stated while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

The Samajwadi Party and the Congress are partners in the INDIA bloc. The success of the seat sharing talks between the two are crucial, especially after the failure of such talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has decided to contest in her state alone.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had made his participation in the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra conditional to a decision on seat sharing, saying that he would join it the moment the seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are distributed between the two parties.

“Right now talks are going on, lists have come from their side and from ours as well, the moment the seats are distributed and decided, the Samajwadi Party will join Congress’s Nyaya Yatra,” Yadav said speaking to reporters on Monday.

The SP Chief could now join the yatra on February 24-25 when it hits Moradabad in Western UP.

Speaking about the significance of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Yadav said, “The 2024 elections are significant. It is an election to save the Constitution and save the future of the country, save Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, to save fraternity.” (ANI)

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Mallikarjun Kharge

We Are With Them: Kharge On Farmers Protest

By LokMarg

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday, expressed strong support for the ongoing farmers’ protest, declaring that the party stands firmly with them.

“We are supporting them (farmers). We are saying openly that their reasonable demands should be fulfilled. We are going to say this in our election manifesto also that a legal guarantee will be given. All crops cannot be covered but the essential crops should be done (providing MSP),” Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Reacting to the farmers’ protest, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he promised to double the minimum support price of farmers during the 2014 elections but did not fulfil it.

“The Prime Minister of our country had said in the 2014 elections that what mistake has the farmer made? Why should they not get the benefit of their crop? He had said that the support price of crops should be doubled. Five years passed, nothing was done. There were movements in the country several times, talks were held with the government to implement the MSP but not implemented,” Patwari said.

Earlier on February 20, Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJp for not implementing the recomendations of the MS Swaminathan report.

“In a country where bank loans worth Rs 14 lakh crore have been waived off, Rs 1.8 lakh crore corporate tax exemption has been given, why is even a little expenditure on farmers an eyesore? The guarantee of MSP will increase investment in agriculture, increase demand in rural India and farmers will also get confidence in growing different types of crops, which is a guarantee of the country’s prosperity. Those who are spreading confusion on MSP are insulting Dr. Swaminathan and his dreams. With the guarantee of MSP, Indian farmers will not be a burden on the budget but will become the drivers of GDP growth” Rahul Gandhi had posted on X.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said that the central government is ready to discuss all the issues raised by the Punjab farmers. He further invited the farmers for a fifth round of talks while urging them to find a solution through ‘dialogue’.

Minister Munda is one among the team of union ministers holding talks with the farmer leaders, including Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai.

Chaos broke out at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border as police stopped the farmers using tear gas and water cannon. The farmers leaders were seen wearing protective gears including masks, safety glasses and headphones to defend the resistive measures undertaken by the security forces. In resistance to the protests, the forces used tear gas shells, water cannons apart from the multi-layer barricading deployed at various borders of Delhi.

Earlier in the day, the general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarwan Singh Pandher reiterated the demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and assured a peaceful approach going ahead. The farmer leader said that as the ‘Dilli Chalo’ resumed on Wednesday, only the leaders will be marching towards the national capital.

After the fourth round of talks ended in a stalemate, the farmers resumed their March on Wednesday morning. On February 19, the farmer leaders rejected the Centre’s proposal on MSP purchase, saying “not in farmers’ favour”.

After the Centre brought a proposal to purchase crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers leaders rejected the proposal saying that it had nothing for them. (ANI)

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'Bigg Boss OTT' winner Divya Agarwal

Divya Agarwal Is Now Married

By LokMarg

‘Bigg Boss OTT’ winner Divya Agarwal on Tuesday tied the knot with restaurateur Apurva Padgaonkar.

The wedding ceremony took place in the presence of Divya and Apurva’s close friends and family members at her residence in Mumbai.

Divya and Apurva were dressed in coordinated wedding trousseau, with Divya wearing a purple lehenga and Apurva complementing her in a matching purple kurta.

Sharing pictures from the ceremony, Divya took to Instagram and wrote, “From this moment on, our love story continues…Rab Rakha.”

Divya’s post has been flooded with congratulatory wishes.

“Congratulations you guys,” actor Chetna Pande commented.

“Congratulations bohot saara pyaar,” a fan wrote.

Before appearing in Bigg Boss OTT in 2021, Divya gained popularity with her stints in other reality TV shows including ‘MTV Ace of Space’ and ‘Splitsvilla’. (ANI)

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Anup Jalota has sung an Afghani song

Anup Jalota Jams With Afghan Singer Farishta Sama

By LokMarg

Renowned devotional singer Anup Jalota has sung an Afghani song for the first time with Afghan singer Farishta Sama.

Speaking to ANI, Anup said, “I am very popular in Afghanistan too, so I thought why not sing songs in their language. The situation in Afghanistan is that music has been banned. In such circumstances, I have recorded this Afghan song giving a beautiful message of love and music. To awaken the wave of love and music, I have sung this song with Farishta.”

Afghan singer Farishta Sama told ANI, “Recording a song with Anup Jalota is a big thing for me. Many people in Afghanistan sing his songs and love him very much. When they hear that Anup ji has sung a Persian song, they will all jump with joy.”

She added, “This is a very good song whose lyrics are heart touching, which means something like “Sehra ke daman mein duniya se bekhabar…”. There is a couplet which means that man is born with music. Its music is very slow and soft which touches the soul.”

On meeting with Anup, he said, “I met Farishta in Germany. She has also recorded with Ghulam Ali Saheb earlier. I told her that she should come to India and do some work. So she came to India and recorded this duet song with me which is a very beautiful song. I believe that listening to this song will awaken love within people and the wave of love and music will spread in Afghanistan too. When a human being is born, God creates him with music. As soon as a person is born, the first lullaby is played and the irony is that the music is being destroyed in Afghanistan.”

The music video will also be released in March. (ANI)

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Shibani Dandekar Farhan Akhtar

Shibani Wishes Farhan On 2nd Anniv

By LokMarg

VJ-actor Shibani Dandekar, on Wednesday, shared a special post for her husband and filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar on their second wedding anniversary.

On the special day, she took to Instagram and dropped an adorable picture along with a heartwarming note for Farhan.

She wrote, “6 and 2 just me and you. I love you @faroutakhtar. Happy anniversary.”

In the picture, Shibani is seen resting her head on Farhans’ shoulder.

As soon as the post was shared, fans and industry members flooded the comment section.

Farhan’s sister and film director Zoya Akhtar wrote, ” Happy Happy.”

Actor Mrunal Thakur commented, ” Happy anniversary favs.”

Actors Dia Mirza, Rhea Chakraborty and Rasika Dugal dropped hearts in the comment section.

Farhan and Shibani, who dated for almost three years, tied the knot at Farhan’s family farmhouse in Khandala in the presence of close friends and family members on February 19, 2022.

Farhan was previously married to celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani. The two got married in 2000 and parted ways in 2017. They are parents to two daughters Shakya and Akira.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Farhan will be getting back to the director’s chair after almost 11 years with a female-oriented road trip film ‘Jee Le Zara’ which will feature Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles. He announced the film in 2021.

He will also direct ‘Don 3’ headlined by Ranveer Singh.

On the other hand, Shibani was recently seen in ‘Made in Heaven 2’. (ANI)

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Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Ignored Shahid At DPIFF Awards 2024

By LokMarg

Actors Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor recently attended the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024. However, what grabbed the eyeball was how the ‘Jab We Met’ co-stars crossed each other’s paths on the red carpet.

The ace actors caught the attention of the fans and many of them raised questions as if Kareena ignored Shahid during the ceremony.

The viral video shows Shahid Kapoor carrying an award and standing with directors Raj and DK. As the photo session was going on, Kareena Kapoor came and greeted the directors as she moved past them to pose for the paparazzi. After Kareena went away, Shahid was spotted smiling while posing for the media. Kareena wore a gold shimmering gown and heels to the event. Shahid also looked stunning at the event.

While reacting to the video on X, one of the fans wrote, “Ah, this will forever be a thing!Jab they met”

Another wrote, “She did it purposely Ig..Look at his face..#ShaheedKapoor #KareenaKapoor#JabWeMet naaaaa!!!!!”

The other commented, “We atleast deserved a cordial “Hi-Hello”!!#ShahidKapoor #KareenaKapoor”

Kareena and Shahid worked together in movies like ‘Jab We Met’ and ‘Udta Punjab’ Kareena Kapoor’s Geet and Shahid Kapoor’s Aditya Kashyap from ‘Jab We Met’ are still etched in the minds and hearts of all Bollywood lovers.

Their relationship was earlier talk of the town before they both moved on in their lives.

Shahid was recently seen in ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’. Written and directed by first-time filmmakers Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah, ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’ features Shahid as a man who falls in love and decides to marry a robot, named Sifra (Kriti Sanon). The film opened to mixed reviews. The film also stars veteran stars Dharmendra and Dimple Kapadia.

While Kareena will be next seen in ‘The Crew’ alongside Kriti Sanon, Tabu and Diljit Dosanjh. She also has Rohit Shetty’s ‘Singham Again’ which also stars Ajay Devgn, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh and Tiger Shroff in pivotal roles.

The grand award ceremony was also attended by other B-town celebs like Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Aditya Roy Kapur, Vikrant Massey, Nayanthara, Shahid Kapoor, Sandeep Reddy Vanga and others.(ANI)

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Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda

Centre Invites Farmers For Fifth Round Of Talks

By LokMarg

Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said on Wednesday that the central government is ready to discuss all the issues raised by the Punjab farmers.

He further invited the farmers for a fifth round of talks while urging them to find a solution through ‘dialogue’.

“After the fourth round, the government is ready to discuss all the issues like MSP, crop diversification, stubble issue, FIR in the fifth round. I again invite the farmer leaders for discussion,” Arjun Munda said while speaking to ANI on Wednesday.

“I appeal to them to maintain peace and we should find a solution through dialogue,” he added.

He said that the farmers have not responded to the invite yet while appealing to move forward with the talks.

“No information has come yet (from farmers’ side). We appeal that we should move forward for talks and present our stand. The government also wants to move forward and find a solution,” the Union Minister said.

Minister Munda is one among the team of union ministers holding talks with the farmer leaders, including Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai.

Earlier in the day, the general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarwan Singh Pandher reiterated the demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and assured a peaceful approach going ahead.

The farmer leader said that as the ‘Dilli Chalo’ resumed on Wednesday, only the leaders will be marching towards the national capital.

“We have decided that no farmer, youth will march forward. Leaders will march ahead. We will not attack our Jawans. We will go peacefully. All this can be ended if they (central govt) make a law on MSP,” Sarwan Singh Pandher said while speaking to ANI.

Also, addressing the protesting farmers, he appealed to move forward peacefully.

After the fourth round of talks ended in a stalemate, the farmers resumed their March on Wednesday morning.

On February 19, the farmer leaders rejected the Centre’s proposal on MSP purchase, saying “not in farmer’s favour”.

“After the discussion of both forums, it has been decided that if you analyse, there is nothing in the government’s proposal. Our government imports palm oil worth Rs 1.75 crore from outside that also causes illness to general public. If this money is given to the farmers of the country to grow oil seed crops and MSP is announced, then that money can be used here. This is not on the favour of farmers. We reject it,” farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said.

“If the government is not giving legal guarantee of MSP, it means that the farmers of the country will continue to be looted. This is not acceptable,” he added.

After the Centre brought a proposal to purchase crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers leaders rejected the proposal on Monday evening, saying that it had nothing for them.

Meanwhile, the farmers leaders were seen wearing protective gears including masks, safety glasses and headphones to defend the resistive measures undertaken by the security forces.

In resistance to the protests, the forces used tear gas shells, water cannons apart from the multi-layer barricading deployed at various borders of Delhi.

Several farmers and police personnel were injured in the clashes during the March that started in February 13.

The protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since the start of the March.

The two sides — ministers and farmer leaders — had met earlier on February 8, 12 and 15 but talks remained inconclusive. (ANI)

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Fali S Nariman

Modi Condols Jurist Fali S Nariman’s Death

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid his tributes to to eminent jurist and senior advocate Fali S Nariman who passed away early this morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Fali Nariman one of the most “outstanding legal minds” and said his thoughts are with Nariman’s family.

Fali S Nariman passed away at the age of 95 in New Delhi. The former Additional Solicitor General of India died at his residence around 1 am.

In a post on X the PM said, “Shri Fali Nariman Ji was among the most outstanding legal minds and intellectuals. He devoted his life to making justice accessible to common citizens. I am pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.”

The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud led bench also remembered the eminent jurist and senior advocate. The CJI condoled the death of Nariman and said, “We mourn passing away of Mr. Fali Nariman. He was a great giant of law. It’s very sad.”

Attorney General for India R Venkataramani said it was indeed a difficult news to swallow

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta termed Fali Nariman’s death as a loss not just to the legal fraternity but the nation’s loss as well.

“Not only the legal fraternity but the nation has lost a towering figure of intellect and wisdom. The country has lost an epitome of what righteousness stood for. A doyen, paragon and a legend in his own lifetime has left us leaving the jurisprudence enriched by his immense contribution. I have always learnt something new by merely appearing even against him,” said Mehta.

Recalling his bonding with Nariman, Mehta said, “Sharing the homemade buttermilk brought by me from my home in the Supreme Court corridors while he regaled all of us with many past anecdotes in Gujarati is a cherished memory for me though he used to come only on few occasions since last few years. His loving gesture of sending all the books written by him to me with his autographs will always remain a proud possession for me and even for the next generations.”

“The legal fraternity is intellectually poorer today. Such intellectual giants do not die. They remain immortal through their contribution. There cannot be and will not be another Fali Nariman,” Mehta added further in his statement.

Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman sharing her thoughts said “Very sad to know that Jurist Fali Nariman is no more. Wise, witty, a walking institution himself, Fali Nariman will be greatly missed. Only a few months ago, had an opportunity to meet with him. Affectionate and respected, India loses an icon.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of eminent constitutional jurist and former Additional Solicitor General of India, Thiru #FaliNariman.”

“Seven decades of his experience at the Bar, out of which more than five decades in the Supreme Court of India, is historic and remarkable. He is instrumental for many landmark judgments, and his contributions to Jurisprudence will be remembered for generations to come. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues at the Bar,” added Stalin in a post on X.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paying his condolences to the departed soul said, “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Fali Nariman, whose demise leaves a profound void in the legal community. His contributions have not only shaped landmark cases, but have also inspired generations of jurists to uphold the sanctity of our Constitution and civil liberties. May his commitment to justice and fairness continue to guide us, even in his absence.”

In a post on X, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed it “an end of an era”.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal in a post on X, said, ” A great son of India passes away. Not just one of the greatest lawyers of our country but one of the finest human beings who stood like a colossus above all. The corridors of the court will never be the same without him. May his soul rest in peace.”

The National Judicial Appointments Commission verdict is among the several landmark cases of Nariman. He was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 1999-2005.

Nariman was born to a Parsi family in Myanmar on January 10, 1929. He started his law practice at the Bombay High Court in 1950. The constitutional lawyer and jurist received the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2007. (ANI)

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Sarwan Singh Pandher Punjab Haryana Farmer

All This Can Be Ended If Centre Makes A Law On MSP: Farmers’ Leader Pandher

By LokMarg

General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor, Sarwan Singh Pandher, on Wednesday reiterated the demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and assured a ‘peaceful’ approach going ahead.

The farmers’ leader emphasized that all farmers would not proceed together in the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march; instead, only the farmer leaders would march towards the national capital.

“We have decided that no farmer, youth will march forward. Leaders will march ahead. We will not attack our Jawans. We will go peacefully. All this can be ended if they (central govt) make a law on MSP,” Sarwan Singh Pandher said while speaking to ANI.

Pandher conveyed a plea to the nation’s youth to carry forward the cause peacefully, even if the farm leaders ‘die’ while protesting. “Even if we die today, we urge the youth of the country to take this ahead peacefully,” he said.

Earlier today, the farmers’ leader urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government to discuss their issues or allow farmers to proceed to Delhi to hold a protest peacefully.

“We tried our best, attended meetings, and every point was discussed. Now the decision has to be taken by the Centre. The Prime Minister should come forward and accept our demands. Rs 1.5-2 lakh crore is not a very big amount…about 60 per cent of the farmers are dependent on it. If farm labourers are added, it constitutes 80 per cent of the country’s population, then our best effort is to remain peaceful,” Sarwan Singh Pandher said while addressing a press conference.

After the fourth round of talks with the Centre, the farmer leaders resumed the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Wednesday morning.

The non-political Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have given a “Delhi Chalo” call, urging the BJP-led Centre to accede to their demands.

The farmers have raised various demands including an ordinance on ensuring legal guarantees for MSPs and loan waivers.

Commencing their march to the national capital on Tuesday, farmers from Punjab faced hindrance from security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points, situated between Punjab and Haryana.

The protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since the start of the march on Tuesday, February 13. (ANI)

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ISRO

ISRO Achieves Successful Completion Of Human Rating Of CE20 Cryogenic Engine For Gaganyaan Programme

By LokMarg

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine, a critical component of the Gaganyaan missions, an official said on Wednesday.

The Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members into an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bringing them back safely to earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

“ISRO has accomplished a major milestone in the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan missions, with the completion of the final round of ground qualification tests on February 13, 2024. The final test was the seventh of a series of vacuum ignition tests carried out at the High Altitude Test Facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, to simulate the flight conditions,” the ISRO said in a press statement.

As per, the ground qualification tests for the human rating of the CE20 engine involved life demonstration tests, endurance tests, and performance assessment under nominal operating conditions as well as off-nominal conditions w.r.t thrust, mixture ratio, and propellant tank pressure. All the ground qualification tests of the CE20 engine for the Gaganyaan programme have been successfully completed.

“In order to qualify the CE20 engine for human rating standards, four engines have undergone 39 hot firing tests under different operating conditions for a cumulative duration of 8810 seconds, against the minimum human rating qualification standard requirement of 6350 seconds,” they said.

ISRO has also successfully completed the acceptance tests of the flight engine identified for the first unmanned Gaganyaan (G1) mission, tentatively scheduled for Q2 of 2024. This engine will power the upper stage of the human-rated LVM3 vehicle and has a thrust capability of 19 to 22 tonnes with a specific impulse of 442.5 seconds.

In a stellar display of prowess, India soared to new heights in 2023 with the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the Moon and the launch of Aditya-L1, India’s first solar mission.

These milestones not only secured India’s standing in the global space economy but also fueled the engines for the private space sector in India.

Among other feats India now aims for are the Gaganyaan Mission in 2024-2025, setting up ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ by 2035, and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040. (ANI)

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