February 2024 - Page 5 of 36 - Lokmarg

Uri, Balakot Sent Their Own Message: Jaishankar

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Calling the national security a complicated calculus in today’s times, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted India’s response to Chinese incursions at the Line of Actual control (LAC) and towards cross-border terrorism from Pakistan through its ferocious responses in Uri and Balakot.

India carried out a surgical strike against terror units in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2016 in response to an attack at an army base in Uri, Kashmir. In 2019, after the Pulwama attack — which killed over 40 Indian soldiers — the Indian Air Force carried out an airstrike against Pakistani terror camps in Balakot.

The EAM was giving the Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru Memorial Lectures 2024 at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Convention Centre, on the topic of ‘Bharat and the World’.

Addressing the event on Monday, Jaishankar said, “The calculus of national security has become much more complicated. Traditional methods of competing and pressuring are buttressed by new tools of influence and disruption. Here too, Bharat has pushed back with determination and fortitude.”

He said that India has worked on developing border infrastructure, one of the aspect which the EAM said was “long neglected.” He added that India’s response to the cross-border terrorism were seen in the episodes of Uri and Balakot.

“When we were challenged on the LAC, with China, In the midst of COVID rapid and effective counter deployments were the appropriate answer. Seeking to rectify the long neglected of the border infrastructure. We have made the defence of the nation much more effective,” Jaishankar said.

He added, “On the largest stage when it came to the Indo-Pacific. We held firmly to our decision to establish and take forward the Quad. On the Western Front, the long standing challenge of cross-border terrorism now elicits more befitting responses. Believe me, Uri and Balakot sent their own message.”

Further, the EAM said that while ‘Bharat’ won’t shy away from answering questions, it also has the courage to question the questioners.

“Economically, Bharat’s answer is in greater Atmanirbharta. Politically, a more authentic and rooted representation that will contest the propaganda which will favour the compliant and discredit it. Bharat will never shy away from questions, but equally, Bharat has the courage to question the questioners,” he said.

Jaishankar also highlighted how India stood with its stand of procuring cheaper oil from Russia for its domestic interests countering Western pressure.

“The world now looks more volatile and uncertain, demanding independent and confident thinking from us. We have seen that already when it came to our energy procurement choices. Bharat chose the interest of its domestic consumers while resisting international pressure,” he further said. (ANI)

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Sheikh Shahjahan Will Be Arrested Within Seven Days: TMC’s Ghosh

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Hours after Calcutta High Court clarified that there is “no stay order” on the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and West Bengal Police is free to arrest TMC leader, the party said that the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali case, who has been at large since last month, will be arrested in a week.

“We are confident that Sheikh Shahjahan will be arrested within seven days,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said in a joint press conference with state Minister Bratya Basu on Monday.

Ghosh said that the Calcutta High Court has given back the right to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan to the West Bengal Police after party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee brought up the issue of “legal complication”.

“Abhishek had rightly said that due to legal complications, the state police could not take action on Shahjahan. Today, while issuing a clarification on Abhishek’s statement, the High Court has given back the right to take action to the West Bengal police. We thank the High Court,” Ghosh said.

Reading out the order of the Calcutta High Court due to which the state police could not take action on Shahjahan, Ghosh said, “…Therefore till the appeals are heard and disposed of, orders and directions issued by the learned single bench in the impugned order dated January 17, 2024 shall remain stayed untill further orders.”

“It goes without saying that the West Bengal state police shall also be restrained from proceeding with the investigation in the cases which have been registered by them,” the order read.

Earlier in the day, the Calcutta High Court Justice asked to issue a notice in the Sandeshkhali case and said, “There is no reason to not arrest him.”

“Public notice shall be given in this case. There is no stay order in Sandeshkhali cases. There is no reason to not arrest him,” the Court said.

Earlier on Sunday, Abhishek Banerjee said that his party is not defending absconding leader Sheikh Shahjahan, but the High Court has tied the hands of the state police.

“The masters and defenders of human rights are saying in the light every day, arrest him, arrest him, what will the police do if the High Court ties their hands? ED officials were assaulted on January 5, the Calcutta High Court constituted a SIT in the incident. The ED appealed and sought a stay on the verdict. The Chief Justice’s bench allowed that request. On March 6, there will be hearing. How will the police arrest if the High Court ties the hands of the state police administration? The police should be given 15 days or a month to take action based on the FIR,” Banerjee said.

Women in Sandeshkhali have been up in arms over the last few days over alleged atrocities committed on them by TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his aides.

Shahjahan has been absconding since January, ever since Enforcement Directorate officials were attacked during a raid at his residence in connection with the alleged ration scam.

Two Trinamool leaders, Uttam Sardar and Shibu Hazra, who are close to Shahjahan, have already been arrested. (ANI)

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From Red Fort, Indians Were Called Lazy: Modi Targets Cong

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Launching attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there was a time in the country when Indians were labelled as “lazy” and “those running away from the hardwork” from the Red Fort.

Notably Prime Minister in the recently concluded Budget session had said that former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru considered Indians ‘lazy’ and ‘less intelligent’.

Addressing the News 9 Global Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,” Those who ruled the country earlier never kept faith in the country’s potential. They underestimated the Indians. From the Red Fort, Indians were called sadists and those easily accept the sense of defeat. From the Red Fort, Indians were called lazy. It was said that Indians run away from doing hardwork.”

“When the leadership of the country is filled with so much pessimism, then how will the optimisim spread in the country,” he added.

Earlier, in an attack on the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address had said that former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru considered Indians ‘lazy’ and ‘less intelligent’.

Targeting the opposition, particularly the Congress party, the Prime Minister said that the country has suffered through the ‘mindset’ of the grand old party, which has never trusted the capabilities of the countrymen.

“The country has suffered through the mindset of the Congress party, which has never trusted the capability of the countrymen. It considered itself rulers and the public as lesser and inferior,” PM Modi said.

Reading out a statement in Lok Sabha by former Prime Minister Nehru, PM Narendra Modi said, “Nehruji thought that Indians were lazy and less intelligent.”

Also, Prime Minister Modi said that it is the work of the BJP-led Centre in the past 10 years that has made world think that India is ready to take the next big leap.

“There is a powerful launchpad of 10 years which has made the world think that our country is ready to take the next big leap. This happened because a change in the mindset that has happened,” he said. (ANI)

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Karisma Turns Speaker At Harvard Business School

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Actor Karisma Kapoor was one of the speakers at the India Conference at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts.

On Monday, Karisma took to Instagram and expressed her happiness on receiving an opportunity to share her views at a session titled ‘Soft Power of Bollywood’ at the renowned institute. Interestingly, Karisma’s sister and actor Kareena Kapoor marked a special “virtual” appearance at Karisma’s session.

“It was an absolute pleasure and honour to be a speaker at the India Conference at Harvard

Shout out to @kareenakapoorkhan for joining us for an impromptu but insightful chat.

Thank you to @sunnysandhu24 and team #HarvardIndiaConference for being so wonderful.

This was truly special,” she wrote.

Karisma also shared a string of images from her session at Harvard.

Meanwhile, on the acting front, Karisma will be seen in an upcoming series ‘Brown’.

Helmed by Abhinay Deo of ‘Delhi Belly’ fame, ‘Brown’ is based on Rita Brown, a suicidal alcoholic, and Arjun Sinha, a widower with survivor’s guilt. The protagonists need to deal with an unstoppable serial killer on the loose.

Karisma also has director Homi Adajania’s next ‘Murder Mubarak’ alongside Sara Ali Khan.

Sharing more details about ‘Murder Mubarak’, Homi Adajania in a statement said,”Murder Mubarak is a cinematic concoction of actors that are loved across genres and generations and believe me each one of them has done such a fab job in bringing these eccentric characters to life. This film has that binge-worthy magic that lends itself to a compulsive watch. It’s a colorful murder mystery that will make you want to rewind and watch it over again when you wonder how you missed all the clues in this breadcrumb-laden whodunnit. And thanks to our collab with Netflix, with its international reach, it’s like throwing the coolest, wackiest party and the whole world is invited.”

Dinesh Vijan, Producer, Maddock Films, has also shared his views.”This is the sixth project that Homi and I are diving into and I wanted to up the ante by finding a uniquely entertaining narrative and then this happened! Also to have such an eclectic ensemble bring to life a script that is one of the quirkier and more entertaining murder mysteries that I’ve read was very exciting for me,” he shared.

The film was mainly shot in Delhi. (ANI)

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Madhuri Recreates Her Purple Saree Look

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Loved watching ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’? If yes, then recent images of actors Madhuri Dixit from ‘Dance Deewane’ sets will definitely make you nostalgic.

Madhuri arrived at the sets wearing a purple saree, which is similar to the outfit that she wore during ‘Didi Tera Deewana’ song. She also recreated the same hairstyle but added a few loose locks to frame her face.

She amplified her look with a stunning necklace and a matching maang-teeka.

Madhuri’s images have been doing the rounds on the internet, garnering likes and comments from the social media users.

“Flashback 90s,” a social media user commented.

“Where is Prem? (Salman Khan),” another user wrote.

Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’ also stars Anupam Kher, late Reema Lagoo, Mohnish Bahl, Alok Nath and Renuka Shahane among many others.

The film celebrates Indian wedding traditions by relating the story of a married couple and the relationship between their families. It is a story about sacrificing one’s love for one’s family. Madhuri, who played the role of Nisha, was romantically paired opposite Salman’s character Prem in the film. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

With a length of almost three and a half hours, the film had a whopping 14 songs, all of which went on to become evergreen classics. (ANI)

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Kejriwal Apologises In SC For Retweeting Defamatory Clip Of YouTuber

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday submitted before the Supreme Court that retweeting the video which was allegedly defamatory and was circulated by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee in 2018, was a “mistake”.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta directed the trial court not to proceed with the defamation case against him for the time being.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief has approached the apex court, challenging the February 5 order of the Delhi High Court refusing to quash the summons issued against him. The High Court had said that reposting alleged libellous content would attract defamation law.

The summon was issued in a defamation complaint lodged against him for retweeting a video of a YouTuber on the social media platform ‘X’.

During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, told the apex court, “There is no problem in admitting that this was a mistake if he had known that these would be the consequences.”

Singhvi requested an adjournment before the trial court, saying that they were prosecuting Kejriwal swiftly.

“They are prosecuting him very fast. They are hotfooting it. We will request an adjournment before the trial court,” he said.

Justice Khanna said that Kejriwal need not appear in court for now, given the office he occupied.

The bench then asked the complainant in the case to take instructions on whether the case could be closed based on Kejriwal’s admitting to the mistake. The complainant’s advocate said he would take instructions from his client, and thereafter, the bench posted the matter for hearing on March 11.

“Relist on Monday, March 11. In the meantime, the matter will not be taken up by the trial court,” the bench stated in its order.

A defamation complaint was filed against Kejriwal for retweeting a video by a YouTuber in 2018 accusing the founder and operator of a Twitter page called ‘I Support Narendra Modi’ of behaving like ‘BJP IT CELL Part-II’. Kejriwal retweeted the tweet, which led to the founder filing a defamation complaint against the Chief Minister. (ANI)

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Pakistan: Maryam Nawaz, Punjab’s First Female CM

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Maryam Nawaz, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee, has made history by becoming Punjab’s first female chief minister, ARY News reported.

She secured 220 votes in the election, triumphing over her opponent, Rana Aftab Ahmad of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), who received zero votes due to a boycott by SIC members.

The Punjab Assembly session, presided over by newly-elected Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, witnessed opposition members from the Sunni Ittehad Council boycotting the proceedings. Speaker Khan declared that only elections for the chief minister would take place, and no lawmakers were permitted to speak during the session, according to ARY News.

In response to the boycott, Speaker Khan formed a committee, including Khawaja Salman Rafique, Salman Nazeer, Samiullah, and Khalil Tahir Sindhu, to persuade the boycotting legislators to return to the Assembly.

Maryam Nawaz’s candidacy for the chief minister position was against Rana Aftab Ahmed of the Sunni Ittehad Council. The PML-N, with a substantial number of candidates, faced competition in the election, but Maryam Nawaz’s clear majority in the house ensured her victory.

The oath-taking ceremony for the Punjab Assembly members occurred earlier, with 321 out of 371 members taking their oaths.

The PML-N had previously secured victory in the Punjab Assembly speaker and deputy speaker elections, further solidifying its dominance. Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan was elected as the PA Speaker with 224 votes, while Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channer, the PML-N candidate for deputy speaker, defeated Mohammad Moinuddin from the SIC with 220 votes, ARY News reported.

Maryam Nawaz is the daughter of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. She was initially involved in the family’s philanthropic organisations.

In 1992, she married Safdar Awan. Safdar was serving as Captain in the Pakistan Army at that time and was the security officer of Nawaz Sharif during the latter’s tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan. She has three children with Safdar Awan

In 2012, she entered politics and was put in charge of the election campaign during the 2013 general elections. In 2013, she was appointed the Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. However, she resigned in 2014 after her appointment was challenged.

During 2024 Pakistani general election, she was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan (NA) and the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab for the first time, marking her parliamentary debut. (ANI)

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Modi Mourns Demise Of Ghazal Maestro Pankaj Udhas

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday condoled the passing of Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas.

Taking to X, PM Modi shared a string of throwback pictures with the singing legend, posting, “We mourn the loss of Pankaj Udhas Ji, whose singing conveyed a range of emotions and whose Ghazals spoke directly to the soul. He was a beacon of Indian music, whose melodies transcended generations. I recall my various interactions with him over the years. His departure leaves a void in the music world that can never be filled. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”

The Padma Shri recipient passed away on Monday at the age of 72. He had been battling a prolonged illness.

Taking to Instagram, Pankaj Udhas’ daughter Nayaab shared a statement on Instagram that read, “With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padmashri Pankaj Udhas on 26th February 2024 due to a prolonged illness.”

Among the evergreen ghazals that Pankaj Udhas lent his vocals to were ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’, ‘Chandani Raat Mein’, ‘Na Kajre Ki Dhaar’, ‘Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein’, ‘Ek Taraf Uska Ghar’ and ‘Thodi Thodi Piya Karo’.

The singer’s demise left the music industry in shock and in grief. (ANI)

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Lara Shares Preview Of Her New Show Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

Actors Lara Dutta and Jimmy Shergill will be seen in a new show titled ‘Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond’.

On Monday, Lara took to Instagram and shared the show’s preview.

The video offered a sneak peek into a story that explores the intricacies of the Balakot operation, delving into lesser-known aspects, strategies, and challenges that shaped the trajectory of events.

Directed by Santosh Singh, the series also stars Ashutosh Rana, Ashish Vidyarthi, Prasanna, and many more.

Speaking about the show, Jimmy Shergill said, “5 years ago on 14th February, our brave hearts at Pulwama gave the supreme sacrifice on the line of duty. While we will never forget the sacrifice of our martyrs, we couldn’t stop beaming with pride when for the first we watched our country fight back! The Balakot airstrike, was a stern message that stemmed from the resilience and courage of our nation and armed forces. India took a firm stand and this date will remain etched in the nation’s heart forever- India will never forget. Being a part of this series has only heightened my respect for the jawans as I relived a defining moment in our country’s history.”

Five years ago, on this date, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out the Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, in retaliation to the February 14 Pulwama attack. As the show revolves around the same, Lara said, “Coming from an armed forces background, I understand the bravery, sacrifice, and love for country firsthand. The martyrs of Pulwama made the ultimate sacrifice 5 years ago, however the Balakot air strike, filled us with national pride. On the anniversary of this historic defense operation, this sneak peek aims to honour every soldier, with or without of uniform, who reshaped our nation’s defence narrative.”

‘Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond’ will be out on JioCinema soon. (ANI)

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Pak: Sunni Council Boycotts Punjab Assembly Session As Voting To Elect CM Begins

By LokMarg 26th February 2024

The Punjab Assembly session convened on Monday to elect the Chief Minister took an unexpected turn as members of the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council (comprising of PTI backed independents) opted to boycott the proceedings, creating a tumultuous atmosphere, ARY News reported.

The session, presided over by newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, commenced at 11:30 am with a strict focus on the chief ministerial elections, forbidding lawmakers from addressing the session.

Speaker of the Punjab Assembly also said Monday’s session will resume despite members of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) walking out in protest.

In response to the SIC members walking out, Speaker Khan swiftly formed a committee, consisting of Khawaja Salman Rafique, Salman Nazeer, Samiullah, and Khalil Tahir Sindhu, tasked with persuading the legislators to return to the assembly, as reported by ARY News.

The Chief Ministerial contest unfolded between PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Rana Aftab Ahmed of the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Notably, SIC, at the eleventh hour, nominated Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan as its candidate due to the provincial police’s attempt to arrest its initial nominee, Mian Aslam Iqbal.

The PML-N, with a significant number of candidates, added intensity to the election, considering its clear majority in the Punjab Assembly.

Friday’s oath-taking ceremony saw 321 out of 371 members taking their oaths. The competitive nature of the election reflected in the victory of PML-N in the Punjab Assembly speaker and deputy speaker elections the previous day, solidifying the party’s dominance in the house.

Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan secured the position of PA Speaker with an overwhelming 224 votes out of the total 327 cast, while Malik Zaheer Ahmed Channer, the PML-N candidate for deputy speaker, triumphed against Mohammad Moinuddin from the Sunni Ittehad Council, garnering 220 votes, ARY News reported. (ANI)

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