Month: March 2024

Rana Daggubati

Rana Daggubati Announces His Talk Show ‘The Rana Connection’

By LokMarg

Actor Rana Daggubati is all set to come up with an exciting and curiosity-piquing talk show featuring his friends and contemporaries from Indian cinema.

The announcement was disclosed at a Prime Video event in Mumbai on Tuesday in the presence of the show’s team.

The show is titled ‘The Rana Connection.’

Taking to Instagram, Prime Video shared the news with fans and captioned the post, “An exciting and curiosity-piquing talk show hosted by celebrated actor Rana Daggubati, featuring his friends and contemporaries from Indian cinema. #TheRanaConnectionOnPrime #AreYouReady #PrimeVideoPresents.”

Rajeev Ranjan and Prashanth Potluri serve as producers on ‘The Rana Connection’.

Rana Daggubati is a renowned name in the Telugu cinema industry. Daggubati is one of the most versatile artists, having worn numerous hats and performed all roles admirably over the years. He is not only known as an actor, but also as a producer and entrepreneur.

He got international recognition with his role of Bhallaladeva in ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ (2015) and ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ (2017).

Meanwhile, Rana will be seen in Vettaiyan, directed by TJ Gnanavelraja.

Speaking of ‘Vettaiyan’, the film also features legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, with Fahadh Faasil, Dushara Vijayan, and Ritika Singh. The film will be released in the latter part of 2024

Anirudh Ravichander, who worked with Rajinikanth in Jailer, with Vijay in Leo, and most recently with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan, has also joined the team as the film’s music director. (ANI)

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Actors Bobby Deol and Suriya

Working With Suriya Has Always Been A Dream: Bobby

By LokMarg

Actors Bobby Deol and Suriya will be seen locking horns with each other in ‘Kanguva’.

On Tuesday, the two attended Prime Video’s event in Mumbai and spoke highly of each other.

Bobby said, “Working with Suriya has always been a dream…He is awesome. He is an amazing actor.”

Suriya also shared how Bobby added more power to the film with his acting chops.

” In the film, we fought but brotherhood was very much between us. He helped us make the film’s climax bigger and bigger,” Suriya said.

The official synopsis of the Tamil film read, “A story that travels 500 years from the 1700s to 2023 is about a hero who has to fulfill a mission left unfinished. A story of gratitude

Siruthai Siva has directed the film. Disha Patani, Natarajan Subramaniam, Jagapathi Babu and Yogi Babu are also part of ‘Kanguva’. (ANI)

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Jharkhand's Jama MLA Sita Soren

Hemant Soren’s Sister-In-Law- Sita Soren Joins BJP

By LokMarg

Jharkhand’s Jama MLA Sita Soren, the sister-in-law of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday.

After resigning from the membership of JMM, Sita Soren tendered her resignation from the membership of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. She was the general secretary of the JMM.

” Many circumstances arose in the party; in the end it was a matter of morality for me. So I tender my resignation as MLA” said Sita Soren in her letter to the Jharkhand Assembly speaker.

Sita Soren claimed that she had not been given her due by the JMM.

“I served the party for 14 years, but to date, I have not received the respect that I should have received in those 14 years, due to which I had to take this very big decision for respect of hard work made by my late husband Durgashwar ji…we have remained untouched till date, we have not received any respect from any kind of party, ” said Sita Soren.

“I had to take this decision today and the way we saw from Prime Minister Narendra Modi is touring entire India, India’s name is becoming popular in foreign countries also, so considering this, I have trust and faith in JP Nadda ji, Amit Shah ji, Devendra Fernand ji, I will get support from them and we have to save Jharkhand” she added.

Meanwhile, JMM Leader Manoj Pandey hopes that Sita Soren will retract her decision.

“It is very unfortunate. We consider her as an important member of the party…we hope she retracts. The kind of respect she has received from this party, I don’t think she will get anywhere else…if she comes under the influence of those people who oppose us then she is sabotaging herself,”said JMM Leader Manoj Pandey.

Speaking on Sita Soren joining BJP, JMM MP Mahua Maji said, “We are all shocked. We don’t have much knowledge about this that why did she do this but the party is going through a crisis right now. So, I think everyone should have had some patience. This is unfortunate for our party…Elections are around the corner. Our party is strong. People like this alliance, Hemant Soren worked with the guidance of Shibu Soren and Champai Soren is completing the incomplete work. People want JMM once again and the alliance government to continue.”

While the BJP has named candidates for 11 out of 14 seats in Jharkhand, INDIA bloc is yet to announce its candidates yet. The voting process in Jharkhand will unfold in four phases, from May 13 to June 1.

In the Lok Sabha election 2019, BJP won 11 seats with 51.9 per cent vote share, while Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and ASJU won one seat each.

The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. (ANI)

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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

Tharoor Accuses Left Of Dividing Vote In Thiruvananthapuram

By LokMarg

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday alleged that the “only effect” of the CPI’s campaign against him in Thiruvananthapuram is to “divide the anti-BJP vote”.

In a post on X, the senior Congress leader said, “It’s ironic that the same @cpofindia that complains about @RahulGandhi’s candidature in Wayanad is playing the BJP’s game in Thiruvananthapuram”.

His post added: “The only effect of the CPI’s campaign against me in Thiruvananthapuram is to divide the anti-BJP vote. And they preach alliance dharma in Wayanad!”

Reacting to this, CPI General Secretary D Raja said it is left that is “fighting the communal and fascist forces”.

“It is an absurd statement. An educated man like Shashi Tharoor must understand the history of Kerala properly. It is the Left that is fighting the communal and fascist forces…so many Congress leaders are leaving and joining BJP…,” he said.

Hitting back, the CPI leader questioned why is the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad in Kerala.

“Rahul Gandhi claims that he is spearheading the fight against BJP, then why is he contesting from Wayanad and fighting against LDF? Congress must explain, what message they want to convey to people. Who are their main political enemies…,” Raja told ANI on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tharoor believes that his work over the last 15 years in the constituency will speak for itself.

“I’ve served the people of Thiruvananthapuram for 15 years. They know me and have seen my service. It’s not as if I’ve got anything to be ashamed of in my track record. I’ve been consistently available and attended to all the major issues,” he said. “It’s always been a three-cornered fight here because I took the seat from the LDF. They had won it two times before me and then in the last two times, the BJP came second. So we have to take both candidates seriously. I’m very confident that I would prevail,” Shashi Tharoor said on Monday.

BJP has fielded Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Congress MP Tharoor.

Pannyan Raveendran, the Left Democratic Front’s Lok Sabha candidate from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, said that the main fight in the constituency is between the LDF and the Congress-led UDF.

“The main contest is between LDF and UDF. BJP is irrelevant in Thiruvananthapuram,” Raveendran who won the constituency in 2005 told ANI on Tuesday.

Kerala will hold elections in a single phase on April 26. There are 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala and the BJP has never won a parliamentary seat in the state.

Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won 353 seats, the UPA stood at 91, and Others won 98. (ANI)

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supreme court women dr

Krishna Janambhooomi: SC Disposes Plea Over Consolidation Of 15 Suits

By LokMarg

The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of the Idgah Committee plea challenging the Allahabad High Court decision to consolidate 15 suits concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute.

A bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed that an application to recall the order under challenge is pending before the High Court.

The Committee of Management Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah has challenged Allahabad High Court decision to consolidate fifteen suits concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute.

Allahabad High Court on January 11, 2024, directed to consolidate fifteen suits concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute.

After the hearing, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, told ANI that the Supreme Court asked Shahi Idgah Masjid to present its case in Allahabad High Court.

“Supreme Court asked Shahi Idgah Masjid to present its case in Allahabad High Court. Allahabad High Court had consolidated 15 cases suits concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute to hear them together and today Shahi Idgah Masjid came to the Supreme Court against that order,” Vishnu Shankar Jain said.

“Supreme Court said that the Idgah Committee has already filed a recall application against the order of consolidation of the Allahabad High Court, so first the recall application should be decided and then you can approach the Supreme Court,” he added.

In the plea, the Idgah Committee said that 15 different suits have been hurriedly consolidated without a proper hearing and the HC’s order deserves to be set aside as the suits have been filed by different parties with competing claims against one another and seeking different reliefs and as such, the consolidation of these suits is bound to lead to severe miscarriage of justice.

The various matters relating to Mathura’s Krishna Janambhoomi land dispute are being dealt in different legal forums.

Earlier, the Committee of Management Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah has filed an appeal in the top court challenging Allahabad High Court order, which transfers to itself all the petitions relating to Mathura’s Krishna Janambhoomi land dispute from District Court Mathura, Uttar Pradesh Masjid Idgah challenged the order dated May 26 passed by the Allahabad High Court, whereby it transferred all such cases relating to the Krishna Janambhoomi dispute from the District Court Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, to itself.

Ranjana Agnihotri, a resident of Lucknow, had filed a suit in Mathura court demanding the ownership of 13.37 acres of land by Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi.

In her legal suit, Agnihotri demanded the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque built in Krishna Janmabhoomi.

The suit filed in the Mathura court sought the removal of a mosque said to have been built in 1669-70 on the orders of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 13.37-acre premises of Katra Keshav Dev temple, near the birthplace of Lord Krishna. (ANI)

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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Gambia

Gambia Parliament Votes To Reverse Ban On Female Genital Mutilation

By LokMarg

The Gambian parliament on Monday voted to lift a ban on female circumcision or Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which involves the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons, Al Jazeera reported.

According to the Al Jazeera report, this move could make Gambia the first country in the world to reverse legal protections against the practice for millions of women and girls.

Politicians in the West African nation’s parliament voted 42 to four to advance the controversial bill, which would repeal a landmark 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) that made the practice punishable by up to three years in prison.

Almameh Gibba, the legislator who introduced the bill, argued that the ban violated citizens’ rights to “practice their culture and religion” in the overwhelmingly Muslim country. “The bill seeks to uphold religious loyalty and safeguard cultural norms and values,” he said.

But activists and rights organisations said the proposed legislation reverses years of progress and risks damaging the country’s human rights record.

Jaha Marie Dukureh, of Safe Hands for Girls, an NGO seeking to end FGM said that the practice was “child abuse”. She, herself, underwent the practice and watched her sister bleed to death following the procedure, Al Jazeera reported.

“The people who applaud FGM in this country, a lot of them are men. These are men who don’t have the same lived experiences that we do, and women who have been through this practice continue to tell them every single day what their suffering is, what their pain is,” she said.

The debate over repealing the ban, imposed by former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years before being toppled in 2016, has divided the nation.

The debate flared up in August, when three women were fined for carrying out FGM on eight infant girls, becoming the first people convicted under the law.

The bill will now be sent to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny before a third reading, a process that is expected to take three months. The committee can make amendments to the measure.

UNICEF, the UN agency for children, defines FGM as “the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.”

Seventy-six per cent of Gambian females aged between 15 and 49 have undergone FGM, according to a 2021 report by UNICEF, Al Jazeera reported.

It can lead to serious health problems, including infections, bleeding, infertility and complications in childbirth, and impair sexual pleasure.

“Girls’ bodies are their own. FGM robs them of autonomy over their bodies and causes irreversible harm,” said the UN’s The Gambia office on X ahead of the debate. (ANI)

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Indian envoy to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Former Indian Envoy To US Taranjit Joins BJP

By LokMarg

Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, former Indian envoy to US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi on Tuesday.

Sandhu, who hails from Punjab’s Amritsar, joined the BJP in the presence of BJP National Secretary, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Tarun Chug.

In the joining ceremony, Sandhu said that Prime Minister Modi is a development-focused leader and that this development should reach his native place, Amritsar.

“In the last 10 years, I have worked closely with PM Modi’s leadership, especially in the relationship with the United States and Sri Lanka. PM Modi is development-focused. Development is very much needed today and this development should reach Amritsar too. So, I thank the party president, the Prime Minister, Home Minister who encouraged me for the new path of service to the nation that I am entering,” he said.

While speaking to ANI, Sandhu said that Amritsar should not miss the opportunities the country is getting, and his nomination for the Lok Sabha candidate will be decided by the party itself.

“There has been a transformation in India-US relations in the past 4 years. It has transformed from a relationship to a partnership. India has received investments in many areas. Opportunities are created for the youth. I am concerned that Amritsar should not miss the opportunities the country is getting… The party will decide if I will contest the elections or not. My hometown, Amritsar, has a lot of potential and I am very affectionate towards it,” he said.

On February 1, Taranjit Singh Sandhu was relieved of his duties after he retired as the Indian envoy to the US.

Sandhu assumed charge as the Indian Ambassador to the United States in February 2020. Sandhu’s most immediate task after being appointed was then-President Donald Trump’s India visit, followed by keeping up the momentum in bilateral ties.

He is one of the most experienced Indian diplomats in US affairs, having served in the Indian Mission in Washington, DC, twice earlier.

He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, from July 2013 to January 2017.

Earlier, he was the First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India, Washington, DC, responsible for liaison with the United States Congress from 1997 to 2000. He has also been at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York, from July 2005 to February 2009.

He came to Washington from Sri Lanka, where he had a remarkably successful tenure as the High Commissioner from January 2017 to January 2020. Sandhu was the Consul General of India in Frankfurt from September 2011 to July 2013.

Besides this, he has worked in the Ministry of External Affairs in various capacities – as Joint Secretary (United Nations) from March 2009 to August 2011; and later as Joint Secretary (Administration), heading the Human Resource Division.

Meanwhile, the BJP and Congress have not named candidates for 13 seats in Punjab, whereas the AAP has named 8 candidates for Lok Sabha elections, including 5 ministers from Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann-led cabinet.

AAP has fielded Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer for Sangrur, Sushil Kumar Rinku from Jalandhar, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal Amritsar.

The 2024 Indian general election in Punjab will be held on June 1, 2024, to elect 13 members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

In the Lok Sabha election 2019, BJP won 2 seats with a 9.7 per cent vote share, while Congress won 8 seats with a 40.6 per cent, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AAP won 1 seat each.

The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. (ANI)

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I Have Little Faith in Electoral Politics

‘I’m A First Time Voter but I Have Little Faith in Electoral Politics’

By LokMarg

Rajyawardan Singh, 22, an undergraduate student based in Pune (Maharashtra), says Indian politics needs structural reforms. His views:

I have not had the opportunity to vote before, hence, I have never ever voted in an election as yet. I am not too keen on voting in the 2024 parliamentary elections either. This is because I have felt a deep sense of loss of faith in electoral politics over time. However, If I vote, I will be voting solely for the reason that there is a small chance that the caste census would be released, which would significantly change a lot of prevailing perceptions people have about the socio-economic composition of our vast country.

Certainly, there are long-standing issues of access to things like healthcare, education, food, among other crucial issues. Of course, especially for the marginalized sections of society, and also due to the long-standing and continuous cultural and social hegemony of the majority (e.g. the ever-present and unchecked cisheterosexual upper-caste pride), this phenomenon is becoming more and more aggressive in the contemporary era. This is thereby pushing the huge majority of marginalized people into submission. Indeed, this seems to be only getting worse over the years.

Democracy will simply be unable to function without any of these crucial reforms. This is truly important if we really want people to have the ability to guide their own destiny via the State, without any handicaps entrenched in their socio-economic status.

We have always lacked these structures and opportunities to a certain extent, and despite pushback through social movements and incremental victories for social justice over years, it’s still not enough. Plus, there is always the looming threat of all the victories being rolled back by the overwhelming reactionary climate in the country.

Undoubtedly, I cannot speak for every young person in India. However, I look forward to the day when exploitation and marginalization will finally end in every sphere, and where every person will have the full freedom to develop herself/himself in free association with others.

As told to Amit Sengupta

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Kriti Kharbanda

Kriti Shares Glimpses Of Her Pehli Rasoi

By LokMarg

Actor Kriti Kharbanda, who got hitched with Pulkit Samrat earlier this month in the presence of their family and close friends has now shared glimpses of her ‘pehli rasoi’ after a grand ‘griha pravesh’ ceremony.

In her Instagram stories, Kriti posted several pictures in which she can be seen garnishing a sweet prepared by her with dry fruits. Kriti also posted a picture of the dessert prepared by her.

She captioned it “Meri pehli rasoi”.

In another picture, she said that the halwa was “approved by dadi”.

Post-wedding, the actor couple returned to their Delhi home and were seen dancing their hearts out to the tunes of the dhol while entering the house during their ‘griha pravesh’ ritual. Pulkit even whistled while shaking a leg with his wife.

Donning a traditional attire, they both looked stunning. If Pulkit opted for a kurta and dhoti, Kriti chose to wear a sari.

The couple also shared adorable pictures from their wedding day, one day after exchanging vows.

“From the deep blue sky, To the morning dew. Through the low and the high, It’s only you. From the start to the end, In every now and every then, When my heart beats different, It’s got to be you. Constantly, Consistently, Continually You!,” the couple captioned the post.

For their wedding, Kriti opted for a stunning pink lehenga while Pulkit donned a mint green sherwani.

In one of the snaps, Kriti can be seen planting a kiss on Pulkit’s forehead while he holds her close. A picture also showed Pulkit tying Mangalsutra around Kriti’s neck.

In no time, Kriti and Pulkit’s post got flooded with congratulatory messages.

“Awwww congratulations guys,” actor Akansha Ranjan Kapoor commented.

“badhaaiiii again,” actor Richa Chadha wrote.

“How beautiful,” another user wrote.

Kriti and Pulkit have appeared together in several films like ‘Veerey Ki Wedding’, ‘Taish’, and ‘Pagalpanti’. Pulkit was previously married to Shweta Rohira.

Speculations around Pulkit and Kriti’s wedding surfaced after the duo on Valentine’s Days shared similar pictures of themselves from their romantic vacation. In their captions they hinted about their March wedding.

“Let’s March together, hand in hand #happyvalentinesday,” Kriti wrote on Instagram, adding a picture of herself with Pulkit.

Pulkit shared a photo of him embracing Kriti as they sailed on a boat in an exotic location. Alongside the image, he wrote the words ‘I do’. His caption read, “Dancing on the edge of a leap! I do, I do, I do love you.. @kriti.kharbanda.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Pulkit recently appeared in the third installment of Fukrey and had a brief role in Zoya Akhtar’s web show Made in Heaven Season 2.

Kriti is gearing up for the release of her upcoming movie, Risky Romeo, scheduled for May 2024. (ANI)

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Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien ECI

TMC’s O’Brien Calls For Supreme Court-Monitored Election

By LokMarg

Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien on Tuesday demanded Supreme Court-monitored Lok Sabha polls alleging that BJP’s tricks are destroying the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The TMC leader hit out at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing them of manipulating the electoral landscape ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP’s filthy tricks destroying institutions like ECI. Are BJP so nervous to face people that they are turning ECI into a party office to target Oppn? ECI or HMV? Transferring officers of elected State govts! For free & fair elections. We want a Supreme Court-monitored election,” O’Brien stated in a post on X.

Earlier TMC Spokesperson Kunal Ghosh had also criticised the Union Government after the ECI took the decision to replace DGP Rajeev Kumar.

“We have seen that the BJP is trying its best to grab different organisations including ECI. They have taken over the control of central agencies and different organisations. In this case also, after the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, what we saw today is the reflection of BJP. It is trying its best to grab and monitor the functioning of these kinds of organisations, including ECI” Kunal Ghosh said.

The Trinamool Congress’ claims come after DGP of West Bengal Raveev Kumar was replaced with a new IPS Officer Vivek Sahay by the ECI. The ECI took this decision in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The ECI said the steps to replace the Bengal DGP and Home Secretaries of six states were aimed at upholding the principles of transparency, fairness and freedom in the electoral process.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued orders for the removal of Home Secretaries in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Apart from this, the ECI also ordered the removal of certain key officials of six states in what it termed a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections.

Additionally, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed.

The Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal will be held in 7 phases starting April 19. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections TMC won 22 seats with a vote share of 43.7 percent while the BJP won 18 seats with a vote share of 40.6 percent. The Congress had won two seats in the state. (ANI)

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