Author: LokMarg

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Wednesday exuded confidence that the central government will implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“BJP has a track record of keeping its promises. We had promised to build the Ram Mandir; we have done it. CAA is our goal, and we will achieve it. It is our promise that we will implement CAA. I have complete faith that CAA will be implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” Majumdar told ANI.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has several times said that she would not allow the implementation of CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.

According to the BJP, CAA and NRC will stop illegal infiltration across the borders.

CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who had entered India on or before December 31, 2014. The Centre has said that citizenship to the eligible beneficiaries of CAA will be given only after rules under the legislation are notified.

Majumdar hit out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC) saying that the party cannot “disassociate” itself from the comments made by Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra about Goddess Kali.

“TMC can’t detach itself from the comments of Mahua Moitra. If TMC actually doesn’t endorse it, they should take action – they should either expel her or suspend her from the party for a few days,” said the West Bengal BJP.

Majumdar also demanded the arrest of Mahua Moitra.

“Our Mahila Morcha will stage a sit-in protest, go to police station and request that she (Mahua Moitra) be arrested,” said Sukanta Majumdar.

Mahua Moitra had on Tuesday issued a clarification on her earlier statements about Kali and said that she has “never backed any film or poster or mentioned the word smoking”.

Taking to Twitter she said, “To all you Sanghis- lying will NOT make you better Hindus. I NEVER backed any film or poster or mentioned the word smoking. Suggest you visit my Maa Kali in Tarapith to see what food and drink are offered as bhog. Joy Ma Tara.”

A massive controversy erupted over a poster shared by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s on her documentary ‘Kaali’. The poster of the film depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background.

Condemning the remarks made by Moitra, the ruling TMC, however, distanced itself from the comments. “The comments made by @MahuaMoitra at the #IndiaTodayConclaveEast2022 and her views expressed on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity and are NOT ENDORSED BY THE PARTY in ANY MANNER OR FORM. All India Trinamool Congress strongly condemns such comments,” the party said in a Twitter post.

Moitra on Tuesday said, “within Hinduism, being a Kali worshipper I have the freedom to imagine my Kali in that way… that is my freedom and I don’t think anyone’s sentiments should be hurt. I have the freedom… as much as you have to worship your god.”

She stated, “For me, Goddess Kali is a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess. And if you go to Tarapith (a major Shakti peeth in West Bengal’s Birbhum district), you will see sadhus smoking. That is the version of Kali people worship (there).” (ANI)

As heavy rainfall lashed the metropolitan, severe waterlogging was recorded in several parts of Mumbai on Wednesday.

The waterlogging was recorded in Dadar and Sion areas today, and Powai Lake started overflowing Tuesday evening due to the downpour.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert on Tuesday predicting very heavy showers in the city for the next five days from July 5 to July 9.

The capital city is witnessing heavy rain since Monday following which areas are waterlogged and traffic movement has been affected.

On Tuesday, a landslide incident was reported in Ghatkopar’s Panchsheel Nagar in Mumbai amidst heavy rains, demolishing a house.

The Central railway informed that the trains on all corridors are running, however, some main and harbour line trains are running late.

Several rivers in the state have reached the warning level. The Kundalika River has crossed the warning level and the water level of Amba, Savitri, Patalganga, Ulhas and Garhi rivers is slightly below the warning level.

The IMD also issued an orange alert for Thane, Palghar, Pune, Beed, Latur, Jalna, Parbhani and several other areas in Maharashtra for the next five days. Ratnagiri and Raigad are on red alert.

Amidst the downpour, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed officials to monitor the situation and keep the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) squads ready, said the CM’s office (CMO) on Tuesday.

Particularly in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Thane, Palghar, Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts, the CM has directed citizens to inform about the rising water and flood situation due to rains and make arrangements at appropriate places for evacuation.

Apart from this, the Chief Minister directed the district collectors and the Water Resources Department to remain alert and take proper precautions as the water of the Jagbudi and Kajli rivers is flowing at the warning level.

The IMD has predicted that isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall and thunderstorm/lightning are very likely over Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Telangana, Coastal and South Interior Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe during the next five days from July 5 to July 9.

“Isolated extremely heavy rainfall also likely over south Gujarat Region and ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra on 08th and over Konkan and Goa on July 7 and 8,” the IMD said.

The weather forecasting agency also predicted scattered rainfall activity with isolated heavy rainfall likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during the next five days.

“Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall and thunderstorm/lightning likely over Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh and Odisha during next five days,” it added. (ANI)

Karnal Police has arrested a Patiala-based man for writing “pro-Khalistan slogans” on the walls of two educational institutions on June 20, and said that the accused was promised to pay USD 1,000 by a US-based person for accomplishing the job.

The accused has been identified as Manjeet, hailing from Punjab’s Patiala. Manjeet was produced before the court which remanded him to 5-day police custody for further probe.

“Haryana Police arrested a person for writing pro-Khalistan slogans in Karnal On June 20, slogans were found written on the walls of two educational institutions. We started probing the matter and arrested an accused identified as Manjeet, a resident of Punjab’s Patiala,” said Ganga Ram Punia, Superintendent of police, Karnal on Tuesday.

“The accused was produced in the court, which sent him to 5-day police remand. During interrogation, it came to the fore that the accused was in contact with a US-based person, who promised to pay 1,000 dollars for doing this work. Further probe into the matter is underway,” the official added.

In a similar incident that occurred in Himachal Pradesh in May, one more Punjab resident was arrested for allegedly putting Khalistani flags and writing slogans on the walls in the Dharamsala city of Himachal Pradesh, informed Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.

“Another person who put up Khalistani flags and wrote slogans on the wall in Dharamsala has also been arrested from Punjab. Every Himachali is united against the forces dividing the country. Long live Mother India Jai Hind, Jai Himachal,” Thakur had tweeted.

“In a joint raid with Himachal Pradesh Police, we arrested a resident of Morinda in connection with putting up pro-Khalistan flags & writing slogans on the wall of Himachal Assembly in Dharamsala,” said Rupnagar SSP Dr Sandeep Garg.

He further said, “During interrogation, the accused also accepted that he along with his accomplice had put up Khalistan banners outside our office (mini-secretariat complex) in Ropar, Punjab on April 13. The accused have been handed over to Himachal Police.”

Notably, the ‘Khalistan’ flags were found tied on the main gate of the Assembly and walls on May 8.

Police had also registered an FIR under sections 153-A and 153-B of IPC, section 3 of HP Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985, and section 13 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) at Dharamshala Police station after the ‘Khalistan’ flags incident.

Police booked banned outfit ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ) general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and called him the ‘main accused’ in the case. (ANI)

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to make a big and important announcement likely on employment at 12 noon today, said sources on Wednesday.

In a tweet, Kejriwal also said to make a big and important announcement.
“I will make a big and an imp announcement for the people of Delhi at 12 noon,” tweeted Kejriwal.

While presenting the annual budget in March, which was termed as ‘Rozgaar budget’, Delhi Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that it will generate 20 lakh more jobs in the next five years.

“Today we are presenting ‘Rozgaar Budget’ which aims to accelerate economic welfare. Through ‘Rozgaar budget’ we aim to generate 5 lakh more jobs in the next five years. I will put plans to take the economy of Delhi on the path of progress and generate lakhs of employment opportunities out of this progress,” Sisodia had said.

He had said that more than 1.78 lakh youngsters got employment in the last seven years in Delhi.

Earlier on Sunday, Sisodia had claimed that the Delhi government’s job portal ‘Rozgaar Bazaar’ launched by Chief Minister has helped 10.21 lakh job seekers to get employment so far in the national capital.

As per data released by the Delhi government, in nearly two years, since the launch of the portal and until June 30, 2022, a total of 10,21,303 verified jobs across 32 job categories have been generated in Delhi. These jobs have been generated by a total of 19,402 unique employers.

The top four sectors where new jobs have been created are sales/marketing, business development, back office/data entry, customer support/tele caller and delivery fleets.

The Kejriwal government said it carried out sample surveys of employers periodically to get their feedback on placements through which all employers surveyed have confirmed that they have been able to hire people for jobs posted on Rozgar Bazaar.

As per the official data, a total of 15,23,536 unique job seekers are registered on the Rozgar Bazaar portal as of June 30. The portal tracks active connections initiated through phone calls, WhatsApp, etc between job-seekers and job providers.

Over 53 lakh such connections have been made until June 30 showing the extent to which the portal has become a lifeline for job-seekers and job-providers in the entry-level and blue-collar job sectors in Delhi, said the Delhi government.

However, the Kejriwal government is now all set to launch the Rozgar Bazaar 2.0 portal. The new portal will provide Artificial Intelligence (AI) based job matching services, as well as, end-to-end skill development and employment-related services to the youth of Delhi on a single platform. (ANI)

Several people have been feared washed away in flash floods caused by a cloud burst that wreaked havoc at Choj nullah in Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district this morning.

The incident has caused considerable damage to the properties and also destroyed the only bridge that leads to the village.

“Flash flood hits Manikaran valley of Kullu district due to heavy rainfall, dozens of houses and camping sites damaged in Choj village,” said Kullu Superintendent of Police Gurdev Sharma.

As many as four people are missing, added the police. He also said that the police and rescue teams are on the spot. “At Chojh village, 4-6 persons and 5 cattle heads are feared washed away. Another landslide occurred on Kasol-Jaimala Road,” added State Emergency Operation Centre in its bulletin.

At Malana Project & II Tehsil Bhuntar of Kullu, a building of the Project has been damaged. In the incident, 25 to 30 employees were stuck in the building. They have been rescued. The SDM Kullu, police and fire team carried out the rescue operation.

Incessant heavy rain continues in Shimla since late Tuesday night.

The Weather Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning likely at isolated places over plains, low and mid-hills of the state while thunderstorms and lightning over high hills of the state for Wednesday. (ANI)

Assailants involved in the ‘brutal’ murder of Kanhaiyya Lal Teli, a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, circulated a video of the assault with the assertion to promote “enmity on religious ground” and to create “panic and terror” amongst the masses across the country.

The information is mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on June 29, a day after the killing of the deceased following order from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The FIR is based on the complaint of Kanhaiyya’s son Yash Teli, a resident of Rajasthan’s Housing Board Colony, regarding the brutal killing of his father by two assailants armed with sharp weapons at his shop ‘Suprim Tailor’, Bhoot Mahal Maaldas street, Udaipur.

Two workers of the shop were also injured by the assailants in the incident, mentions the FIR.

“The assailants also circulated the video of the murder of Kanhaiyya Lal Teli on social media with assertion promoting enmity on religious ground and to create panic and terror amongst the masses across the country,” reads the FIR.

The brutal killing took place on June 28 (Tuesday) between 3 pm and 3.30 pm, and the information was received at NIA through an order issued by the MHA’s Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalization Division (CTCR) on June 29.

Earlier the case was registered at Dhanmandi police station in Udaipur district under various sections of the Indian Pena Code (IPC) and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act relating to the murder of Kanhaiyya by two assailants armed with sharp weapons at his shop “Suprim Tailor”.

“Whereas, the Central government is of the opinion that the Scheduled offence under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 has been committed and having regard to the gravity of the offence and its ramifications on national security, it is required to be investigated by the National,” reads the NIA FIR.

Followed by MHA’s order, the NIA, in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, took up the investigation of the case and the Central agency’s Superintendent of Police Ravi Choudhary, an IPS officer, was directed to take up the investigation of the case as the Chief Investigation Officer.

NIA re-registered the case under sections 452, 302, 153(A), 153(B), 295(A) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 16, 18 and 20 of UA(P) Act, 1967 against the accused who have conspired, planned and committed the heinous murder of Kanhaiya Lal Telli.

Pursuant to the registration of the case, NIA teams were also rushed to Udaipur and requisite action for expeditious investigation of the case was initiated.

The two accused Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad were taken into custody during the investigation of the case.

As per the agency, the accused, both residents of Udaipur, are being questioned at NIA’s Jaipur office.

NIA’s six to 10-member team under the supervision of an Inspector General and a Deputy Inspector General rank officer is probing the matter.

Soon after committing the crime, the two accused posted a video on social media boasting about the “beheading” and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life as well.

The victim was killed as he reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma– former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad. (ANI)

Hitting out at Uddhav Thackeray for his jibe at him, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday referred to his past in which he drove an autorickshaw and said “autorickshaw has left Mercedes behind”.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Shinde said the government led by him is for common people and is committed to giving justice to all sections of society. He said the government will work in a way that everyone will feel it is their government.
“(Auto) rickshaw has left the Mercedes behind because this government is for common people, this is a government to give justice to every section. We will perform in a way that every constituent, everyone feels it is my government, it will work for me. This will be the difference,” Shinde said.

Shinde was responding to a question on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks on Tuesday in which he had said that the BJP used to call the MVA government a three-wheeler government but now the person who drove three-wheeler is running the government. Thackeray also accused Shinde of backstabbing him.

Shinde led the revolt in Shiv Sena which eventually forced Uddhav Thackeray to resign on June 29 as chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government which also included the Congress and Shiv Sena.

Referring to the BJP’s support in forming the government, Shinde said the party had shown to people of the country that they are not only for power but also for ideology.

“All were anticipating, there was a perception in the public that BJP does anything for power. But they have shown to the country that these 50 people have taken a Hindutva position, an ideological position and their agenda is of development and Hindutva and they should be supported. And they supported us despite having more numbers, more MLAs. They gave us support for the post of Chief Minister,” Shinde said.

Shinde said Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him to take the state forward, take it towards development and take forward development works.

The Chief Minister said Prime Minister assured of his and the Centre’s full support in development endeavours.

“This is a big thing. The Centre is also with us. We have not done anything illegal. The pre-poll alliance was between BJP and Shiv Sena. We are allying with that party.”

Asked about his remark of their alliance winning 200 seats in the next assembly polls, Shinde said 170 MLAs are with the alliance and only 30 more remain. “We can get more than 200 seats,” he said.

He said BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has become Deputy Chief Minister showing “a big heart”.

Shinde said it was unexpected for Fadnavis but he followed BJP directions.

“It was unexpected for him, but he followed party directions. And a worker like me of Balasaheb and Anand Dighe was made the chief minister, I am thankful to PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda. They have given an opportunity and changed the perception that BJP is not only a part for power but also for ideology,” he said.

Answering a question on cabinet formation, he said it will be discussed and a decision taken soon.

Shinde said he had several times apprised the Shiv Sena leadership that the party was not gaining from being part of the MVA government and was getting damaged.

He said that Shiv Sainiks faced “injustice” and “tough laws like MCOCA”.

“Talked several times that MVA of which we were a part, we are not gaining from it, it is damaging us, our MLAs are worried, how will we fight the polls, win them, we were fourth in local body polls. Despite having a CM, we were number four. It means who is taking advantage of the government, Shiv is not benefitting, other constituents. Is Shiv Sainik gaining, no. What did they get, despite the party being in power, they got nothing, they faced injustice, faced false cases, tough laws like MCOCA, then why is the government?”.

“When there is power then Shiv Sainik should get justice, they should be enabled to be self-dependent but there was no change in their lives and they faced damage, they faced injustice,” he said.

Shinde said they tried to make the leadership change its decision to allying with Congress and NCP but did not succeed. (ANI)

Indian Air Force has witnessed the highest number of applications for recruitment into the Force surpassing the previous best recruitment cycle numbers, after the completion of the registration process under the new Agnipath scheme on Tuesday.

The IAF had started the registration process on June 24, 10 days after the Agnipath scheme was launched by the Centre.
According to the IAF, the highest number of applications in any recruitment cycle was 6,31,528 which was overtaken this year under the Agnipath scheme which attracted 7,49,899 applications.

“The online registration process conducted by #IAF towards #AgnipathRecruitmentScheme has been completed. Compared to 6,31,528 applications in the past, which was the highest in any recruitment cycle, this time 7,49,899 applications have been received,” IAF tweeted on Tuesday.

The number comes despite the protests in various parts of the country against the newly launched scheme. Notably, the protests had turned violent at some place demanding the rollback of the scheme.

However, Lt General Anil Puri, Additional Secy, Dept of Military Affairs, MoD clarified on June 19 that the programme will not be rolled back and said that it is the “only progressive step to make the country young”.

“Coming to the rollback of the scheme, no. Why should it be rolled back? It is the only progressive step to making the country young. Why is it being made young? We are tinkering with ‘Desk ki Raksha (national security). There is no space. I will give you an example. Do you know how many casualties are reported just for health purposes from high-altitude areas? Do read about it, then you would come to know why young is important,” the officer said.

He also urged the youth to “start preparing” instead of “wasting their time” by taking to the streets.

Speaking to ANI, Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary Department of Military Affairs had said, “By going to the streets, they are only wasting their time, they should spend this time to get themselves physically ready. The worst issue is that today we are not what we were 10 years back.

Everything is interconnected. Why roger your future? It’s not worth it. I appeal to them to start preparing.”

The officer, while explaining the motive of the scheme, said that it was designed keeping the youth in mind.

“We have thought through the scheme which has been designed keeping the youth of the country in mind. We know that in the coming days that the youth of the country will be less than 25 years, 50 per cent of them. And the Indian Army has to be reflective of this,” Lt Gen Puri had said. (ANI)

Days after he resigned as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said Eknath Shinde, who led the rebellion with party MLAs to bring down Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, backstabbed him.

Addressing Shiv Sena workers here, Thackeray said that he gave Shinde the responsibility of the party.

“Shinde to whom I have given the responsibility of the party backstabbed me, while NCP and Congress remained with us. It is painful to see that those (MLAs and ministers) who won due to Sena workers and got everything has left him,” Thackeray told media persons here.

Earlier in June this year, Eknath Shinde led a group of Sena MLAs against the MVA government, resulting in it losing its majority in the Maharashtra assembly. This also led Shiv Sena chief Thackeray to step down as CM ahead of a floor test.

The new Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra won the floor test on Monday by a 164-99 margin, proving his government’s majority and cementing his position as chief minister of the state and the leader of the Shiv Sena. 164 votes were polled in favour of Shinde, while 99 votes were polled against the newly formed BJP-Shinde camp coalition.

The trust vote comes a day after BJP’s Rahul Narwekar was elected the Assembly Speaker. On Sunday Narwekar reinstated Shinde as the Shiv Sena’s legislative party leader and also recognized the appointment of Gogawale as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena.

After the Maharashtra government won the trust vote in the state Assembly, Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction on Monday gave a petition to Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar for the suspension of 16 MLAs of the party belonging to Uddhav Thackeray’s camp for violation of whip.

The Speaker’s office confirmed that 16 MLAs will be issued notice for suspension. Gogawale had also issued a whip to the party MLAs to remain present in the Vidhan Sabha for the floor test. (ANI)