Author: LokMarg

Amid the bitter tussle between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions to prove which group is the real Shiv Sena, the former chief minister hit out at the latter claiming the rebels were just “rotten leaves” which should be shed for the benefit of the tree.

In a hard-hitting interview to Sanjay Raut for party mouth-piece Saamana, former chief minister Thackeray claimed that the group led by chief minister Eknath Shinde “betrayed” him and wanted to “finish” the Shiv Sena.

“These rebels are like rotten leaves of a tree and should be shed. It is good for the tree as there will be new leaves (leadership). All that the BJP and these rebel MLAs want to do is finish our party, Shiv Sena. There are many senior Sena leaders who worked with Balasaheb Thackeray, who have come to meet us and have blessed us for our stand,” Thackeray asserted.

The former chief minister, who stepped down from the office last month after a Shinde-led revolt, said he had given the latter the “number two” position in Shiv Sena but the latter broke his trust.

“I am paksha pramukh, the head of the family, but I couldn’t even move after the surgery. But at that time, they were actively conspiring against me. I will always live with this painful reality. I entrusted someone with the party, gave him the status of number two. I had trusted you (Shinde) to take care of the party, you broke that trust, that too when I was in the hospital,” he said.

Asserting that the Shinde faction should “stop begging for votes” in the name of party founder Bal Thackeray.

“They have betrayed me, split the party. They should seek votes using their own parents’ images. Stop begging for votes using the images of the father of Shiv Sena, Shri Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said.

The former chief minister dared the Shinde faction to “separate Thackeray and Shiv Sena”.

“I dare them to try and separate Thackeray and Shiv Sena. Unfortunately, my parents are not alive, but they (rebels) should take the blessings of their own parents and campaign, give speeches and seek votes. Why steal my father? You have no dedication, no sense of duty, no courage? You are a traitor,” a combative Thackeray said.

Significantly, Thackeray’s outburst has come at a time when the two groups are engaged in a bitter fight to prove that they are the real Shiv Sena.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday asked the rival factions to submit documentary evidence to prove that they have a majority of members on their side in the Balasaheb Thackeray-founded outfit.

“The way they (BJP) tried to appropriate Sardar Patel from the Congress, they are doing the same thing with my father’s legacy, which no true Shiv Sainik will allow to happen,” Thackeray added.

Recalling the neck surgery he underwent last year, Thackeray said that he came to know about the ones who were praying for his health and also the ones praying against his wellbeing.

“At a time when I was recovering from a major neck surgery that left me temporarily unable to use my limbs, I heard reports that some were praying for my health while others were praying that I stayed unwell,” he said.

“I wanted to ask those who now are screaming Hindutva – when the BJP broke alliance with Shiv Sena, did we leave Hindutva? No, we didn’t. I have heard, that Rs 1,000 crores were spent during all these dramas. What has been done today, if they had discussed it with me, it would have been done naturally as alliance partners and with respect,” Thackeray added.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear on August 1, a fresh plea of the Uddhav Thackeray camp, seeking a stay on the Election Commission of India (ECI) proceedings on Eknath Shinde group’s claim for recognition as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena. (ANI)

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Tuesday said that it is the responsibility of media houses to present facts, as in Indian society people believe that everything in print is true.

“Independent journalism is the backbone of democracy. Journalists are the eyes and the ears of the people. It is the responsibility of media houses to present facts. Especially in the Indian social scenario, people still believe that whatever is printed is true,” CJI Ramana said while addressing a public gathering on the release of ‘Geeta Vigyan Upanishad’ authored by Gulab Kothari.

The treatise ‘Geeta Vigyan Upanishad’ has been presented in a language that the new generation can understand. It steers clear of the reconditeness and obscurity of scriptures.

“All I want to say is that the media must confine itself to honest journalism without using it as a tool to expand its influence and business interests,” he added.

Underscoring the days of Emergency in 1975 and recalling the role of media during those “dark days”, the CJI said, “You may recall that only media houses without business baggage, were able to fight for democracy during the dark days of emergency. The true nature of media houses will certainly be assessed from time to time, and appropriate conclusions will be drawn from their conduct during testing times.

Recalling his day as a journalist, he said that he used to travel by public transport for news coverage and there was a healthy competition among journalists to do great public interest stories.

He also acknowledged the international award instituted by the Rajasthan Patrika, named after their founding editor Kapoor Chand Kulish.

CJI Ramana pointed out that there is still a huge lacuna when it comes to systemic support for journalists in India and said, “Unfortunately, we still do not have an award which is comparable to the Pulitzer, and neither do we produce many Pulitzer-winning journalists in India.”

“I urge all the stakeholders to introspect that why are our standards not considered good enough for international recognition and laurels,” he said.

Adding further, he said, “When a media house has other business interests, it becomes vulnerable to external pressures. Often, business interests prevail over the spirit of independent journalism, and as a result, the democracy gets compromised.”

During his address, CJI also said that he is religious but not an authority on religious scripts. In the courts, we often get to see witnesses taking oath on Bhagawad Gita, CJI said.

“India is the home to mythology. Even in this modern era, India continues to be the

hub of spiritualism. In fact, Bhagawad Gita is enough to show how great our country is. It is said that reading the Gita is equal to reading all scriptures. Mahatma Gandhi also considered Gita as his eternal mother,” CJI added. (ANI)

China’s image as a preferred investor in Asia have suffered due to policies leading to debt traps along with the human rights situation in the country.

Countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are among those where questions are being asked about Chinese investments. In Nepal, some Chinese entities were blacklisted in some infrastructure projects due to extreme negligence and delay in work, according to reports.

Some of these aspects were also brought forth by a recently published think-tank report.

“There is a relatively new revelation that along with debt burden, the major Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries are also facing ever-rising trade deficit. Merged with debt trap, the trade trap associated with BRI investments have jolted the financial stability of Pakistan and many other BRI countries,” said a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS).

In contrast to a debt trap, a trade deficit trap is a situation being experienced by countries who relied heavily on China for investments. In this situation, a country experiences an ever-widening trade deficit after its newly built infrastructure projects are completed.

According to IFFRAS, Pakistan is one among such countries that faces severe deficit in trade balance too, especially with China.

Some of the projects in Nepal such as the Kathmandu-Kerung Interstate Railway, Galchhi Rasuwagadhi-Kerung transmission line and Syafrubensi-Rasuwagadhi road section have fallen into disrepair, according to reports.

The construction work of the 30 MW Nyadi Hydropower Project on the Ngadi River at Bahundanda in Lamjung, which was started by the Chinese company Chachiang Hydropower Construction and Installation Company in April 2013, is learnt to be delayed.

Similarly, the Central China Power Grid International Economic Trade Organization, which delayed the project due to extreme negligence in the construction of the Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat transmission line is also reportedly on the blacklist of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

The NEA has warned the Chinese contractor Kwangsi Hydro and Electrical Construction, which has been entrusted with the 102 MW Madhya Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project in Sindhupalchowk, to be blacklisted, break the contract and pay fines if the work is not completed within the next five years.

The Chinese companies have delayed the work not only in Nepal’s hydropower and infrastructure but also in the field of aviation. The Pokhara airport, which was expected to be completed in 2021, is also in dilapidated condition.

The Pokhara airport built by the Chinese company CAMC on a loan of USD 214.7 million from the Chinese Import-Export Bank (EXIM) is not technically operational immediately. However, the government has already started paying 2 per cent interest on 75 per cent of the Chinese loan, according to reports.

China, which once promised to bring prosperity to Nepal through its investments, has now abandoned dozens of large-scale projects. In a quest for rapid progress and development, Bangladesh is falling under the debt trap of China by sponsoring infrastructure projects.

As Chinese companies want to build the Metro Rail in Chittagong with their funds, it implies that, after the completion of the project, Chinese technicians will continue to stay in Chittagong under the cover of maintenance of the Metro. It is an attempt by China to strengthen its footstep in Bangladesh, especially in Chittagong which is strategically important.

The main target of China is Chittagong Port, which is the main port of Bangladesh from where entire Bangladesh’s export and import takes place.

China is gradually bringing Bangladesh into its trap as it is already the major supplier of arms to Bangladesh. China has made a hard bargain with Pakistan when it comes to payback on its loans and other investments in Pakistan.

In the fiscal years 2021 – 2022, Pakistan paid around USD 150 million towards interest to China for using a USD 4.5 billion Chinese trade finance facility. In the financial year 2019 – 2020, Pakistan paid USD 120 million towards interest on USD 3 billion in loans. (ANI)

Legendary Australian batter and skipper Ricky Ponting feels that India and Australia will be the finalists in the upcoming T20 World Cup and the latter will beat the Men In Blue in the final.

ICC World T20 will take place in Australia later this year.

Ponting has been around a lot of T20 cricket in recent times, having spent time as assistant of the Australian team under Justin Langer, being the head coach of Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and doing commentary during Big Bash League games.

“I think India and Australia will be the two playing in the final and I will just have to say that Australia will beat them in the final,” Ponting said on the latest edition of ICC Review.

“The reigning champions have got home conditions and that was one thing that made Australia’s win in the last World Cup, not remarkable, but that little bit sweeter for them. The fact that a lot of people, me included, thought when they went to UAE, the conditions that they were going to have to face on the back of the IPL, I thought the conditions might have been the thing that might not have allowed them to win it. But they found a way,” he added.

He also gave his thoughts on the England cricket team. He is impressed by its recent appointed Test head coach Brendon McCullum and his performance in the recently concluded Test series with New Zealand at home. Ponting is also aware of the greatness of England’s new white-ball coach Matthew Mott because of his superb record with Australian women’s team as its coach.

“I actually think England are an outstanding white-ball team and they have an outstanding white-ball setup. I just think the three teams on paper that look to have most class and the most match-winners are India, Australia and England,” he said.

The Aussie legend does not really agree with Pakistan bowling legend Waqar Younis on the chances of the Asian side clinching their second T20I World Cup title. He acknowledges the greatness of star pacer Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, but feels that the batting relies too much on the world number 1 batter and skipper Babar Azam.

“If Babar does not have a great tournament, I do not think they can win. I saw him up close and personal a couple of years ago out here in a Test series against Australia and I said it then, I thought the sky was the limit for this guy as far as Test match batting (was concerned) and, if anything, he has probably got better and better in the last couple of years. Their openers are very important and their new-ball bowlers are very important, but that role of the spin bowler in Australia might be a little bit more difficult with wickets that probably won’t give them assistance,” he said.

On chances of other teams at least making it to the finals, he said, “I know the game too well and any of New Zealand, Pakistan or West Indies even – we know how they tend to love playing this game and they are probably most suited to the T20 format. It would not surprise me if any of those sides find their way through to the final.” (ANI)

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) will hold local body elections in the month of September on a party basis after 31 years, local media reported citing the region’s poll body.

The announcement was made by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Retd Abdul Rasheed Sulehria on Tuesday along with the poll body members in a media conference.

“The apex court of AJ&K has given us a deadline to conduct polls before October 12, 2022 however, we are ready to conduct them in the month of September this year,” said CEC Justice Retd Sulehria as quoted by The Express Tribune.

According to a senior member of the poll body Farooq Niaz, all arrangements have been completed to ensure local bodies’ elections.

Another member Farhat Ali Mir said that the first phase for the arrangements was delimitation which has been completed on time while the second phase was the completion of voter lists, and the task has already been achieved before the deadline.

He added that more than PKR900 million would be spent on the elections and in this connection, the EC has received PKR300 million so far, The Express Tribune reported.

More than 5,192 polling stations have been established while in general elections there were only 5,123 polling stations, the Pakistani media outlet reported citing the polling official.

Asked about the changes in these elections, Farhat Ali Mir said that there is no change in the local government election procedure and they will be conducted on the same pattern as the 1991 local body polls.

In May, Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas said that his government would hold the local body (LB) polls in accordance with the direction of the top court.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry had asked the election commission to redouble its efforts to hold local body elections in the state in line with the orders of the top court. (ANI)

Actors Shamita Shetty and Raqesh Bapat have finally parted ways after they had fallen in love with each other inside the ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ house.

Earlier, on Monday, a picture of Raqesh lovingly planting a kiss on Shamita’s cheek went viral on the internet. However, it turned out to be a still from their upcoming music video that the two have dedicated to their ‘ShaRa’ fandom.

There had been speculations about their breakup with no authentic confirmation but on Tuesday, the duo finally broke the silence and announced their separation on social media.

Shamita took to her Instagram handle and shared a story that read, “I think it’s important to make this clear. Rakesh and I are no longer together and have not been for a while, but this music video is for all the beautiful fans who have given us so much love and support. Do continue to shower us with your love as individuals too. Here is to positivity and Newer horizons love and gratitude to all.”

Rakesh also shared a similar Insta Story. He wrote, “I would like to share with you all that Shamita and I are no longer together. Destiny made our paths meet in the most unusual circumstances. Thank you so much to the beautiful Shara family for all the love and support.”

“Being a private person, I did not want to publicly announce parting ways, however, I feel we owe it to our fans to put this out. I am mindful that this will break your hearts but hope you can continue to shower your love on us as individuals too. Looking forward to all your support. This music video is dedicated to all of you,” added Raqesh.

For the unversed, Shamita and Raqesh met each other on ‘Bigg Boss OTT’ last year and soon fell in love during their stint on the reality show. Following that, they were seen together going on a date, and have also made many party appearances together. (ANI)

The wait is finally over for Vijay Deverakonda who debuts on ‘Koffee with Karan’ this Thursday.

Karan Johar unveiled the promo of the fourth episode of the ongoing season of his popular talk show on Tuesday. The promo features ‘Liger’ actors Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya Panday.
From Vijay talking about Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi to Ananya talking about what’s cooking between her and Aditya Roy Kapur, the promo is every bit of an entertainer.

The promo starts with a fun introduction of the two stars by Karan Johar who then goes on to ask Vijay whether he liked cheese? Then a small clip from Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday’s episode is played where they talk about Vijay being on a cheese platter. To this Ananya Panday asks whether can she could be on the same cheese platter.

The actors also spilled beans on their sex life.

When Karan asked Vijay if he has ever been in a threesome, the ‘Arjun Reddy’ star said, “no.” However, there’s a twist.

Later Karan asked if he wants to be in a threesome. And guess what? Vijay said that he would not mind a “threesome.”

The promo has left fans in splits.

“Hahahhaha…Vijju is so cool,” a social media user commented. “This episode is gonna be a fire,” another one wrote.

Meanwhile, on the film front, Vijay will be seen as a boxer in ‘Liger’, which is helmed by Puri Jagannadh and produced by Karan Johar.

The film marks Vijay’s debut in Hindi cinema and the ‘Khaali Peeli’ actor’s first multi-lingual film. The film is all set to hit theatres on August 25, 2022, after getting multiple delays due to COVID-19. It will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. (ANI)

The number of Australians in hospital with coronavirus has reached the highest number since the start of the pandemic.

According to data from the Department of Health, there were 5,433 COVID-19 cases in hospital on Monday, up from 5,001 a week earlier. It marks a new high point for COVID-19 hospitalizations, beating the previous record of 5,390 in January.

It comes as Australia’s winter wave of COVID-19 infections is expected to peak in the coming weeks, increasing pressure on the hospital system. Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), described the figure as “massive”, calling for more government leadership on health measures including mask mandates.

“The bottom line is on the ground, my colleagues are angry, desperate, fatigued and they have a terrible situation where there are not enough beds or nurses.”

Australia on Tuesday reported more than 40,000 new COVID-19 cases and more than 90 deaths.

As of Monday afternoon, a total of 9,139,047 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including 11,200 deaths, and approximately 377,550 active cases, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health. (ANI/Xinhua)

Sri Lanka’s hospitals are on the verge of collapse as supplies of surgery equipment and life-saving drugs have been almost exhausted, while extreme fuel shortages have left both patients and doctors unable to travel for treatment, media reports said.

Sri Lanka imports 85 per cent of its medicinal supplies and equipment, along with raw materials to manufacture the remaining share of its needs, however, the island country is now bankrupt and a lack of foreign currency has left it unable to source enough fuel to keep the economy moving.
Health ministry officials declined to give details about the present state of Sri Lanka’s public health services, on which 90 per cent of the population depends, the reports said.

As per the media reports, doctors working in government hospitals say they have been forced to curtail routine surgeries to prioritise life-threatening emergencies, and use less effective substitute medicines.

“Sri Lanka’s once-strong healthcare system is now in jeopardy,” UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said in a statement.

“The most vulnerable are facing the greatest impact,” she said.

The World Bank has directed funds to help Sri Lanka pay for urgently needed medications, including anti-rabies vaccines. Meanwhile, India, Bangladesh, Japan and other countries have also come to aid of Sri Lanka with donations for the healthcare sector.

Newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe has claimed that the country’s economic crisis is likely to deteriorate even more by the end of next year if no strict measures are taken.

Massive inflation has driven food prices so high that many households are struggling to keep themselves fed as the reeling economic crisis continues to keep Sri Lanka under its grip.

Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. The United Nations warned that 5.7 million people “require immediate humanitarian assistance.”

Sri Lanka’s economy is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country’s failure to meet its international debt obligations.

With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March. The protests led then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resign the following day. (ANI)

Police opened fire and used tear gas on protesters in the Thorar area of Rawalakot district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Monday night.

At least five protesters were taken to the local hospital after they were injured. A video that surfaced on the internet purportedly showed the incident wherein several rounds of fire by the police.
“We are not going to leave this spot no matter if they call the police forces. We are ready to die. Police have opened fire and tear gas on us,” said one of the protesters.

This violent incident comes as the locals in the area are holding protests against more than 20 hours of load shedding in the region. They are also calling for a reduction in the skyrocketing electricity prices.

In previous incidents, they had blocked the road and demanded the release of the locals who were arrested by the police earlier.

PoK produces over 2000 MW of electricity and the total need of POJK is just 380 MW and still, Pakistan doesn’t give electricity to the occupied region.

Besides this, electricity price is higher in PoK as compared to regions that consume much of the electricity generated in PoK.

Last week, dozens of people came out on the streets to express their concerns over the heavy load shedding and high electricity bills and called on the government to provide immediate relief.

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir produces more than 4000 MW of electricity and yet it does not get enough power to meet its needs. Consequently, the people in the region are forced to dwell in darkness.

Earlier this month, dozens of angry residents in several parts of PoK blocked roads over harsh policies imposed by Islamabad that are hurting the economic interest of locals.

PoK’s four million residents have never been allowed to speak a word and address their political and socio-economic grievances.

Its high unemployment rate, poor infrastructure, and lack of resources force its citizens to migrate to large cities of Pakistan where they are only allowed menial jobs as labourers, cleaners at hotels, drivers, etc.

Pakistan is unable to provide the bare minimum amenities to keep people alive in its colonized state, reported Asian Lite International.

The difference in allocation of funds as well as development projects in Kashmir – PoK and Kashmir amply describes the tale of two Kashmirs.

At the beginning of this fiscal year, India presented a USD 13.33 billion budget for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. New Delhi allocates nearly five times more funds to J&K than Islamabad allocates for PoK. (ANI)