Month: March 2024

Ayodhya Temple

Ram Lalla Adorns Handloom Cotton Clothes Ahead Of Summer Season

By LokMarg

With the onset of the summer season and rising temperature, Ram Lalla, the revered deity of the Ayodhya Temple has transitioned to wearing comfortable cotton attire from Saturday.

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra posted on X, “The vastra that Prabhu is wearing today is made of handloom cotton malmal, dyed with natural indigo, and adorned with gotta flowers.”

This shift to lightweight and breathable fabric reflects a thoughtful consideration for the deity’s comfort during the sweltering months ahead.

Ram Lalla, a revered 51-inch idol depicting the youthful form of Lord Rama, affectionately known as “Balak Ram,” has been sculpted from a rare three billion-year-old black stone by the skilled Mysuru-based artisan, Arun Yogiraj.

The Pran Pratishtha ceremony for this divine idol took place on January 22, 2024.

Meanwhile, ahead of the upcoming Ram Navami festivities, the Hanumangarhi temple administration held a meeting on Friday to discuss the arrangements for devotees, temple officials said.

The district administration of Ayodhya and the police were also present at the meeting, they said.

The officials discussed provisions for drinking water and arrangements with special attention to the provision of toilets to ensure that devotees’ feet do not burn in the summer heat.

The meeting by the Hanumangarhi temple administration took place after a few devotees fell unconscious owing to heat and a lack of water.

The meeting saw the participation of senior saints of Hanumangarh, the National President of Sankat Mochan Sena Sanjay Das, Ayodhya Mayor Girishpati Tripathi, the Circle Officer of Ayodhya, senior police officers and officials from the Municipal Corporation.

Police administration and Ayodhya Mayor have assured that the visitors will not face any problems and that all arrangements will be in place during Ram Navami for the ease of the devotees.

Meanwhile, lakhs of devotees kept thronging Ayodhya after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla. Many are visiting the Hanumangarhi Ram Temple every day and their footfall has been increasing rapidly. (ANI)

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Gangotri Dham

Uttarkashi: Gangotri Dham Goes Under White Blanket After Snowfall

By LokMarg

Gangotri Dham, the highest temple dedicated to Goddess Ganga, received fresh rain and snowfall on Saturday morning.

Visuals showed the Gangotri Dham shrouded in white after the snowfall.

A white covering of snow was visible on the Gangotri temple premises and surrounding areas.

The Gangotri Temple, where Goddess Ganga is worshipped, stands at a height of 20 feet and boasts of exquisite carvings on white granite.

Gangotri, which is situated in the upper reaches of the state, surrounded by the leaping, snow-capped Himalayas, is known to experience heavy snowfall between December and March.

The best time to visit Gangotri is between May and June and in September-October, as the weather remains clement at these times.

Meanwhile, the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang Pass in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh also received fresh snowfall on Saturday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), earlier, issued an alert for the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan and some parts of Lahaul-Spiti, saying rain or snowfall was predicted to lash these areas over 3 days, starting March 28. (ANI)

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Lingayat pontiff

Mallikarjunashree Distances Itself From Lingayat Pontiff’s Remarks

By LokMarg

After a Lingayat pontiff in Karnataka called for replacing Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Prahlad Joshi from Dharwad constituency for the Lok Sabha elections, Murugha Mutt has distanced itself from the remarks while refusing to participate in political matters.

“It’s his personal opinion’ and not the collective lingayat community’s or mutt’s opinion’,” said Mallikarjunashree of Dharwad Muruga Mutt, who clarified that the statement of Dingaleshwara Swami has nothing to do with mutt.

Speaking at a press conference held in Dharwad on Thursday, Dingaleshwara Swami,a lingayat pontiff, targeted Union Minister Prahlad Joshi.

“Joshi has done his revenge politics. The Dharwad Lok Sabha ticket should be changed. We will convey this to the BJP High Command. The majority of Lingayat votes are in Dharwad district,” Dingaleshwara Swami said.

Dingaleshwara Swami also alleged, “It was Pralhad Joshi who removed BS Yediyurappa from the post of Chief Minister.”

Speaking to the media in the city, Mallikarjunashree of Dharwad Muruga Mutt said, “Swamiji’s statement has nothing to do with the Dharwad Muruga Mutt. Our mutt never participates in political matters.”

He said, “I have nothing to do with the current controversy.”

BJP Candidate Pralhad Joshi on Saturday “feigned ignorance” and said he will win their blessings.

Responding to the pontiff’s demand, Joshi said, “I’m not aware. I don’t want to react to their statements. I’ll win with their blessings. I can’t say more.”

Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated.

The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4. (ANI)

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Election Manifesto Committee

LS Polls: Rajnath To Lead BJP’s Election Manifesto Committee

By LokMarg

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced the Election Manifesto Committee for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

BJP president JP Nadda announced the 27-member committee which will be headed by defence minister and former BJP chief Rajnath Singh.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Piyush Goyal will be convenor and co-convenors, respectively.

Arjun Munda, Bhupender Yadav, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Kiren Rijiju, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bhupender Patel are included as members in the committee.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav are also included in the list.

Along with them, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, Smriti Irani, Jual Oram, Ravishankar Prasad, Sushil Modi, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Vinod Tawde, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, OP Dhankar, Anil Antony and Tariq Mansoor are also there.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced the candidates for the by-election to be held in the Gandey Assembly seat of Jharkhand and Bagidora Assembly seat in Rajasthan.

The party has fielded Dilip Kumar Verma from the Gandey Assembly, while Subhash Tamboliya has been given a ticket from the Bagidora Assembly in Rajasthan.

The bypoll will be held at Bagidora Assemby in Rajasthan on April 26, while the Gandey Assembly will undergo a bypoll on May 20.

Bypolls on 26 Assembly seats will also be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning April 19.

Nearly 96.8 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming polls at over 12 lakh polling stations.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19.

The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 282 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 44 seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 303 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 52 seats. (ANI)

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Haryana Torture By Immigration Agents

Haryana Youths Allege Torture By Immigration Agents

By LokMarg

Two youths hailing from Haryana’s Karnal who were lured on the pretext of a permanent work visa in Germany, were allegedly tortured by immigration agents, police said on Saturday.

Reportedly, the two youths were fraudulently sent to Russia instead of Germany, where they had been promised jobs in a hotel and a permanent work visa. But the youths were sent to Russia where they were allegedly tortured by the immigration agents.

“I went abroad on September 24 last year. The agent who sent me said that they will provide me with a permanent work visa in Germany, but they handed over a Bangkok ticket. When I reached there, they started torturing me. Additionally, they took money from my family,” Mukesh, one of the youth who allegedly faced torture in Russia, told ANI on Saturday.

“From Bangkok, they (agent) accorded me the ticket to Russia and said that their people would come to pick me up at the airport. After reaching Russia, they began torturing me. Donker took me to their place, started beating me and demanded money,” the youth said.

Mukesh further alleged that he was denied food and was kept thirsty while in captivity.

“By taxi, I was taken to Belarus from Russia; they took me to their place in the border forests, put burnt cigarettes on my body. Through me, they used to do video calls to my family, and threatened to kill me if my family didn’t credit money,” he said.

“We were then arrested by the Army for not having valid travel permits. They asked us to join the army or serve in jail for 10 years. We refused to join the army, then they tortured us, and put us in jail in Moscow, the youth added.

“I returned to India on March 14. I was sent to a camp in Moscow, where I was asked if I wanted to join the army or depot. I chose to depot,” Mukesh said.

He claimed that around 250-300 Indian youth are trapped in Russia’s Moscow.

According to the police, the family of the youth have filed a complaint with the Haryana police regarding the alleged torture.

“They sent their sons abroad, but Donker blackmailed them and trapped them there. They charged Rs 10 lakh and took away Rs 25 lakh in total. An FIR has been launched and arrests will be made soon,” Sandeep Kumar, Investigating Officer (IO) of Munak Police Station in Karnal, said while speaking to reporters on Saturday.

“They are still recovering. We met them today. As soon as their condition improves, they will be brought in for further investigation,” the officer added. (ANI)

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Mukhtar Ansari

Police Deployed Ahead Of Last Rites Of Mukhtar Ansari

By LokMarg

District Magistrate Gazipur Aryaka Akhoury said on Saturday that police have been deployed along the route leading from his home to the graveyard as the last rites of the gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari would be held today.

Mukhtar Ansari will be laid to rest in Mohammadabad, in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Police have been deployed outside the burial ground to maintain law and order as people have gathered to pay their respects to the gangster turned politician.

District Magistrate Gazipur Aryaka Akhoury said, “The preparations are complete. Police have been deployed on a 600-metre route leading from his home to the graveyard. The movement of the people is being watched. The late rites would be concluded peacefully.

The late rites would be held at 10 am today, DM Akhoury said.

Replying to a query, she said, “The family, close relatives, and people who are on the list will participate in the last rites. People who will throw the soil at the funeral will also come.” (People participate in this ritual to pay respect and bid a final goodbye to their loved one.).

Following the postmortem, the body of the gangster was brought to his Ghazipur residence on Friday night amid heavy police deployment

Mukhtar Ansari died in a hospital at Banda, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday. His family, however, claimed that he was “given poison in the food.”

According to the official release from the hospital, Ansari was brought to the hospital around 8:25 pm on Thursday. A team of nine doctors attended to him before he died, the release added.

Sibgatullah Ansari, Mukhtar Ansari’s elder brother, claimed on Friday that the administration did not inform him and that he learned about his brother’s death through the media.

Meanwhile, a three-member team will conduct a magisterial investigation into the death of Ansari.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate Banda issued orders concerning the judicial probe. Officials said a panel of two doctors will do the post-mortem, which will be videographed.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP-MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990. (ANI)

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Bharat Ratna

Murmu Confers Bharat Ratna Posthumously On Narasimha Rao, Charan Singh

By LokMarg

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday conferred Bharat Ratna on four eminent personalities, including two former Prime Ministers, Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao. Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and agronomist MS Swaminathan were also conferred with the country’s highest civilian award.

The central government announced five names for the Bharat Ratna this year, which also included BJP leader LK Advani.

Sources said that President Murmu will pay a visit to senior BJP leader LK Advani’s residence and confer him with the prestigious award. This was decided in view of the ailing health of the veteran BJP leader Advani, they added.

Former PM Charan Singh’s award was received by his grandson, Jayant Singh, and PV Narasimha Rao’s award was received by his son, PV Prabhakar Rao.

MS Swaminathan’s daughter, Nitya Rao, received the award for her father and Karpoori Thakur’s award was received by his son, Ram Nath Thakur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Congress leader and LoP Mallikarjun Kharge were present among other leaders on the occasion.

Born on June 28, 1921, in Karimnagar, Telangana, being an agriculturist and an advocate, Narsimha Rao joined politics and held some important portfolios. He was the Minister of Law and Information, 1962-64; Law and Endowments, 1964-67; Health and Medicine, 1967 and Education, 1968-71, Government of Andhra Pradesh. He was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1971-73 and General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee from 1975-76.

Trained as a plant geneticist, Swaminathan’s significant contributions to India’s agricultural sector have earned him a reputation as the scientific leader of India’s green revolution movement. His work has been instrumental in the agricultural renaissance of India.

Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on November 8, 1927, Advani has served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its inception in 1980. Capping a parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).

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.

Chaudhary Charan Singh was born in 1902 at Noorpur in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh, in a middle class peasant family. He shifted to Meerut in 1929 and later joined the Congress. He was first elected to the UP Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli and represented the constituency in 1946, 1952, 1962 and 1967. He became Parliamentary Secretary in Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant’s Government in 1946 and worked in various departments such as Revenue, Medical and Public Health, Justice, Information etc.

In June 1951, he was appointed Cabinet Minister in the State and given charge of the Departments of Justice and Information. Later, he took over as the Minister for Revenue and Agriculture in the Cabinet of Sampurnanand in 1952. When he resigned in April 1959, he was holding charge of the Department of Revenue and Transport. (ANI)

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ED Issues Summons To Gahlot In Excise Policy Case

By LokMarg

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to Delhi Transport Minister and AAP leader Kailash Gahlot in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

According to sources, the probe agency has issued summons to Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot for questioning in its ongoing money laundering case linked to Delhi excise policy.

The development has come after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the same case on March 21.

Earlier on Friday, AAP leader and Delhi Minister Gopal Rai announced that several prominent leaders from the INDIA alliance will participate in a rally at Ramlila Maidan on March 31 in support of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following his recent arrest.

He said, “Reactions from the entire country came after the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal. The main leaders of the INDIA alliance will join the rally on March 31 in Ramlila Maidan.”

Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Farooq Abdullah, Bhagwant Mann, Champai Soren, Tejashwi Yadav, Sitaram Yechury and many more leaders have been confirmed to join the rally, Rai said.

Hindu Sena on Friday filed a fresh petition in the Delhi High Court to remove Kejriwal from the post of Chief Minister.

In the petition, it has been demanded from the court that it should order Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor to dismiss Chief Minister Kejriwal from the post and run Delhi through the Central Government via LG.

A day after the custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was extended till April 1 by the local court, his wife Sunita Kejriwal, in a video statement, launched a WhatsApp campaign titled ‘Kejriwal ko Aashirwaad’.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday extended the custodial remand of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by four more days in a money laundering case related to the Excise Policy.

In court, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The real liquor scam began post the ED investigation. The motive of the ED is to crush the Aam Aadmi Party.”

Kejriwal said in court that the case has been going on for two years and no allegations have been proven.

Meanwhile, a protest will be held by the INDIA bloc outside the BJP headquarters in the national capital tomorrow against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Congress, AAP, and the Left parties will participate in the demonstration. (ANI)

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Pakistan

Navy Rescues 23 Pakistanis From Somali Pirates In Arabian Sea Ops

By LokMarg

At least 23 Pakistani nationals were rescued from the clutches of Somali pirates during a daring 12-hour-long operation in the Arabian Sea, said the Indian Navy.

The dramatic rescue unfolded in the early hours of March 29, 2024, when the Indian Navy warship INS Sumedha intercepted the hijacked vessel, FV Al-Kambar, as it was being held captive by pirates. Acting swiftly, INS Sumedha was soon joined by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul to bolster the operation.

Utilising their tactical expertise and strategic coordination, Indian naval forces initiated negotiations with the pirates, compelling them to surrender without bloodshed. The surrender marked a decisive victory for the Indian Navy in combating piracy and ensuring the safety of maritime activities in the region.

Following the successful apprehension of the pirates, Indian Naval specialist teams embarked on the FV Al-Kambar to undertake thorough sanitisation and seaworthiness checks. These meticulous examinations aim to ensure the vessel’s safety before escorting it to a secure area, enabling the resumption of normal fishing activities for its crew.

On Friday evening, the Indian Navy responded to a potential piracy attack on an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, and diverted two naval ships to intercept the hijacked vessel.

The Indian Navy received input regarding a potential piracy incident onboard the Iranian fishing vessel ‘Al Kambar’.

Following this, two Indian Naval ships deployed in Arabian Sea for maritime security operations were diverted to intercept the hijacked fishing vessel.

At the time of the incident, the Iranian vessel was approximately 90 Nm south-west of Socotra and was reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates.

The hijacked fishing vessel was intercepted on March 29.

“Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, irrespective of nationalities,” the statement added.

Notably, the Indian Navy has carried out several high-octane operations against piracy attacks lately. Earlier this month, the Indian Navy in a daring operation, intercepted the under-attack pirate ship Ruen, sailing almost 2600 km from the shores of the Indian Coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop through calibrated actions.

The Indian Navy reiterated its unwavering commitment to maintaining maritime security and ensuring the safety of seafarers navigating through these perilous waters. This action by the Indian Navy serves as a testament to India’s resolve to combat piracy and uphold international maritime laws, the Indian Navy said in a statement. (ANI)

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ISRO

European Space Agency Director Praises ISRO

By LokMarg

Director General of European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, heaped praise on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its recent successful launches and said that India’s accomplishments in space and especially in lunar exploration is ‘astonishing’.

Aschbacher posted an appreciation post on X, after ESA hosted its 323rd Council meeting in Paris which was attended by the ISRO Chairman, S Somanath.

ESA Member States met in Paris, France, for the 323rd session of the ESA Council on March 26 and 27, 2024.

The European scientist also underscored that the significance of strengthening ties and deepening cooperation with international partners cannot be underestimated.

“What India is accomplishing in space – especially in Lunar exploration – is astonishing. We hosted ISRO’s Chairman, Dr. S. Somanath at ESA Council today. It was a milestone occasion for Delegates to learn more about current and future plans for ESA-ISRO cooperation,” he posted on X.

“The strategic importance of strengthening ties and deepening cooperation with international partners cannot be underestimated,” he added.

Additionally, Astronaut Thomas Pesquet also shared about meeting with the ISRO chairman and the ESA Director and said that the they witnessed enthusiastic exchanges between the two leaders.

“Very proud to welcome ISRO chairman Shri. S. Somanath at ESA HQ in Paris yesterday, with our director Josef Aschbacher. Enthusiastic exchanges between the two men, and abounding cooperation opportunities between the two organisations. Let’s co-travel to space together!,” he posted on X.

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.

On August 23, 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission created history with the successful soft landing on Moon’s surface.

India is now the first nation to reach near the Moon’s unexplored South Pole and ranks amongst the top four nations to carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission and the second attempt to land softly on the moon’s surface. It’s part of the Chandrayaan program, a series of missions developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to explore the moon. The mission consists of a Vikram lunar lander, a Pragyan lunar rover, and a propulsion module that carries the spacecraft from Earth orbit to lunar orbit.

Additionally, in a major milestone, India placed its first dedicated solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, in the Halo orbit. The country went gaga over this historic achievement, especially since this mission came at the back of India’s moon landing, the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Aditya-L1 reached Lagrange Point L1 which is about 1.5 million km from earth. The PSLV-C57.1 rocket carrying the Aditya-L1 orbiter lifted off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, in September. (ANI)

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