News Archives - Page 142 of 1956 - Lokmarg

Shilpa To Ayshmann, Celebs Wish Govinda On Birthday

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

As actor Govinda turned a year older today, several celebs took to social media and extended heartfelt wishes.

Taking to Instagram, actor Ayushmann Khurrana shared a throwback picture on his stories and wrote, “Happy B’day Govinda Sir.”

Shilpa Shetty Kundra shared a video with Govinda on her Instagram stories which she captioned, “Happy birthday. May this day bring you loads of peace, love, and all that your heart desires. May you continue to entertain and enthrall us for years to come.”

Kajol shared a throwback picture with the ‘Coolie No. 1’ actor on her Instagram stories which she captioned,” Here’s to another year of being the only #HeroNo1. Happy birthday.”

Actor Chunky Panday shared a throwback picture and wrote, “Happy Happy birthday my dearest @govinda_herono1.”

Actor Raveena Tandon penned a special wish for her darling friend and actor Govinda on his birthday.

Raveena shared the video of their first song from the film ‘Dulhe Raja’, which was released in 1998 and reminisced about their first collaboration in the film industry.

Along with a video, she penned a sweet note, “My dearest Darling friend Chichi, @govinda_herono1 This was our first song together after many misses of getting a chance to work with each other, we finally started Dulhe Raja, with the blessings of Kali Mata , and Harmesh ji at the helm. After the very first shot of this song together , I knew this is the beginning of a very long association. Here’s to our films and friendship together for so many years! Happy Happy Birthday my friend @govinda_herono1 ! Chiranjeevibhava Jai Bholenath! Samarthobhava, Aayushmaanbhava.”

Govinda is among the best comic actors the Indian cinema has ever seen. During the 90s, he was at the top of his career and delivered some evergreen superhit comedy films for which he got a lot of appreciation.

Some of his best films are ‘Dulhe Raja’, ‘Coolie No 1’, ‘Hero No 1’, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’, and ‘Haseena Maan Jayegi’ among others. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Amitabh, Abhishek Twin In Black

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Father-son duo Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan on Thursday night attended the star-studded birthday bash of producer Anand Pandit in Mumbai.

Both the actors were seen twinning in all-black suits at the bash.

Several pictures of the father-son duo posing with the birthday boy Anand Pandit and Jackie Shroff went viral on social media.

Apart from them, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Sharman Joshi, Annu Kapoor, Milap Zaveri, Ameesha Patel, newly married couple Randeep Hooda and Lin Laisharm, Hrithik Roshan with his father Rakesh Roshan, actor Neil Nitin Mukesh also marked their presence at the grand bash.

Producer Anand Pandit is known for his films like ‘Chehre’, ‘The Big Bull’, ‘Thank God’, and ‘Total Dhamaal’ among others.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Abhishek was last seen in the sports drama film ‘Ghoomer’ alongside Siyami Kher and Angad Bedi.

The film received decent responses from the fans.

Amitabh, on the other hand, was last seen in the sci-fi action thriller film ‘Ganapath’ alongside Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon.

He will be next seen in the sci-fi action thriller film ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ alongside Deepika Padukone and Prabhas.

Apart from that, he also has a courtroom drama film ‘Section 84’ in his kitty. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

I Quit Wrestling: Sakshi Malik

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik, who was a face of wrestlers’ protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations, on Thursday announced that she is quitting wrestling after his aide Sanjay Singh was elected president of the federation.

Sakshi Malik, distraught and emotional, broke down as she left the venue after addressing a press conference in the national capital.

She put her shoes on the table at the press conference as she announced her decision to quit wrestling.

“We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us. If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” she said, accompanied by some other wrestlers who were part of the protest.

“We have made demands for a woman president. If the president would be a woman, harassment would not happen. But, there was no participation of women earlier and today you can see the list, not even a single woman was given a position. We had fought with complete strength but this fight will continue. The wrestlers of the new generation have to fight,” she said.

Vinesh Phogat, World Championships and Asian Games medallist, also expressed her deep disappointment and said that the future of wrestling is dark and grapplers are still fighting.

“There are minimal expectations but we hope that we get justice. It’s saddening that the future of wrestling is in the dark. To whom shall we convey our grief?… We are still fighting while we are training,” she said.

Sanjay Singh was on Thursday elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The Wrestling Federation of India elections were held on Thursday after several postponements earlier in the year.

A panel led by Sanjay Singh won the WFI election. The other panel got seven votes.

“National Camps (for wrestling) will be organised. Wrestlers who want to do politics can do politics, those who want to do wrestling will do wrestling,” Singh told the reporters.

Sanjay Singh served on the WFI’s previous executive council. Since 2019, he has also served as the national federation’s joint secretary.

The WFI elections were originally slated to be held on August 12. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while holding a hearing on a petition in August, extended the stay on the WFI elections till September 25. Elections to the federation, which oversees wrestling in the country, were initially planned for June this year.

Earlier this month, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence in the national capital for discussions on the WFI polls.

Sakshi’s husband, Satyawart Kadian, a wrestler himself, was also among those who called on the minister. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the wrestlers said they were assured that the government would keep its promise that no one related or close to Brij Bhushan would get a post in the WFI. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

New Criminal Laws Will Ensure End Of Tareekh Pe Tareekh Era: Shah

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the three new criminal justice laws have drawn from India’s own legal jurisprudence and with their implementation, the country will have vast contribution of technology in its criminal justice system.

Replying to debate in Rajya Sabha on bills that seek to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act, Amit Shah said the implementation of new criminal laws will ensure an end to ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ era and justice will be given in three years.

He said the definition of terrorism has been included in the new bills.

The House earlier took up discussion on the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023. The three bills were passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Amit Shah said in his reply that for the first time, changes have been made in the three laws governing the nearly 150-year-old criminal justice system.

He said that after the three new laws are implemented, India’s criminal justice system will take maximum advantage of technology.

“If there will be maximum contribution of technology in any system, it will be in the Indian system…The aim of the three bills is not provide punishment but give justice,” he said.

He said that in old laws, instead of crimes against women, priority was given to the protection of the Treasury and the British Crown.

Shah said the government has removed the section of sedition and replaced sedition with treason.

“The implementation of new criminal laws will ensure an end to ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ era and justice will be given in three years,” he said.

The minister said the bills have been framed after extensive deliberations since 2019 and these were also sent to the standing committee. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

India Hopes Canada Takes Action Against Extremist Elements: MEA

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

India’s position is consistent on the issue of Canada as it is hoping that Ottawa would take action on extremist elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.

While addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Bagchi said India has always highlighted that the core issue remains the space given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in Canada.

Asked about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks that he has seen a tonal shift in India’s relations with Canada after the US reported an alleged murder plot, Arindam Bagchi said, “I’m not exactly sure how to answer it. In the sense, this is a comment by the Prime Minister of Canada and I wouldn’t like to comment on that. But I think our position has been quite consistent and whenever this has been raised.”

Notably, the ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made allegations about India being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has outrightly rejected the allegations terming them “absurd” and “politically motivated.”

“I think we have highlighted how we see the problem and frankly the core issue remains the space that is given to extremists and terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. I think you would heard also from External Affairs Minister recently as well as others about the developments of that case and the fact that if there’s something that we look into it but the core of it, the problem remains this. So I would like to say whether they have noted a shift or not. Certainly, our position has remained consistent and we would hope that they would take action on such extremist elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country,” he added.

Trudeau has said he believes India’s relations with Canada might have undergone “a tonal shift” in the days since the unsealing of a US indictment alleging a conspiracy to murder India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, Canada-based CBC News reported.

Trudeau made the remarks in an end-of-year interview with the CBC’s Rosemary Barton. He said the US indictment seems to have convinced the Indian government to adopt a more sober tone, as reported by CBC News.

“I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can’t bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before,” he said.

Trudeau said, “We don’t want to be in a situation of having a fight with India right now over this.”

“We want to be working on that trade deal. We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy. But it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people’s rights, for people’s safety, and for the rule of law. And that’s what we’re going to do,” CBC News quoted Trudeau as saying.

Recently, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun.

The Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.

Gupta is currently in custody and has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.

Reacting to the Justice Department’s indictment, the Ministry of External Affairs said the case filed against an individual in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, was a “matter of concern” and is contrary to government policy.

“We cannot share any further information on such security matters. As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said and let me reiterate that this is contrary to government policy” the MEA spokesperson said. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Smriti Shreds Rahul Over Mimicry Row

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Unleashing a no-holds-barred attack on Rahul Gandhi, who was pictured filming the crude impression of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar by suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee on the Parliament premises, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said the Congress MP hit a new low by “wilfully standing there and encouraging disrespect towards Rajya Sabha chairman”.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the Lok Sabha MP from Amethi said the Vice President had laid down the salient procedures that cannot be violated by a responsible Parliamentarian, and, yet, the Opposition members wilfully violated them.

“When the Vice president and Chairman of Rajya Sabha have announced that these are the procedures that cannot be violated as a parliamentarian, after knowing those, you go and violate them that means you have been mindful of the rules that you are breaking. This is not a classroom, this is the Parliament of India. What shocks me was not the juvenile reaction of the former Congress president (Rahul Gandhi). I could never imagine that on the steps of the Parliament, you could mock the Vice President of India. Rahul Gandhi filmed it and encouraged it. So I think it (the bulk suspension of Opposition members) marks the end of the juvenile politics by Mr. Gandhi. To wilfully stand there and encourage disrespect towards (the) Vice President, that’s a new low that he has hit,” the Union Minister said.

She further asserted that even she had ‘issues’ when in the Opposition but never mocked the Speaker or used words that brought disrespect to the Chair because “it not an individual but an institution”.

“There is a historical context to every activity that is undertaken in Parliament. There is a President that you set not only from a domestic perspective but also an international parliamentary perspective of how business in a house is conducted, where a part of many international unions, associations, and, organisations study the functionality of our Parliament. Can you have the Vice President of India or the Speaker of the House announce a set of rules and regulations and procedures in terms of parliamentary engagement and willfully break those rules and then expect no consequence for it?” she added.

She said the brazen impression of the Rajya Sabha Chairman and his mannerisms, including his physical limitations, was a “message to your (Rahul’s) political audience”.

“There is a generation of political activists that want to emulate you. When you caricature the VP of India, you are sending a message to your political audience. What was Kalyan Banerjee doing knowing that Rahul Gandhi was filming it? He was working towards enduring himself to the audience called the Gandhi family,” Irani said.

“(Congress MP KC) Venugopal was sanding and laughing. They paid no heed (to the Chair) when they were in the House. Can you then deny that constitutional post the right to deliver justice? They stood on the table and threw a book on the chair. Do you remember the deputy chairperson? They were slamming books and chucking papers at the chair,” she added.

On the row over Rahul’s ‘flying kiss’ this year in the Lok Sabha, Irani said “it has nothing to do with me, but whatever he did was a reflection of his upbringing”.

“He gave it (flying kiss) in the House, my position was never that it was intended towards me. It was that the House was expected of a particular conduct. Whatever he did was a reflection of his upbringing and his sense of how much he values Parliament. It has nothing to do with me,” she said.

“The person (former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar) who allegedly chanted Anti-India slogans in a university, Rahul Gandhi has indulged him in his political party. We cannot deviate from the reality. The issue is
kya Bharat toota hai jo aap jod rahe ho
? (Is India broken that you are fixing it?)” she added. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Dabdabba Tha, Dabdabba Rahega: Brij Bhushan After Sanjay Singh Elected WFI Prez

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Following the win of his aide Sanjay Singh in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, the former president of the federation Brij Bhushan Singh said on Thursday that it is the victory of wrestlers across the country and added “dabdabaa tha, dabdabba rahegaa” (dominance was there, dominance will stay!).

Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s aide Sanjay Singh on Thursday elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

“This is not my personal victory, this is the victory of the wrestlers of the country. All wrestling activities were stopped for 11 months. I hope that after the formation of the new federation, wrestling events will resume which were paused for the past 11 months,” said Brij Bhushan to the media.

“A message has been given. Every akhaada in the country is bursting firecrackers. Dabdabaa tha, dabdabaa rahega!. I want to give the credit of victory to the wrestlers of the country and the electors.I want to thank the government as well. The elections were done on instructions of the Supreme Court and the Centre had submitted the PIL for this. Elections were held by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Centre went ahead to make sure elections happened and a non-partisan person was chosen as president. This ‘grahan’ of 11 months on wrestling is over. Within 10 days, the landscape of wrestling will change again and we will perform in the Olympics the way people want us to,” concluded Brij Bhushan.

On former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s aide Sanjay Singh elected as the new president of the WFI, Wrestler Sakshi Malik said, “We have made demands for a woman president. If the president would be a woman, harassment would not happen. But, there was no participation of women earlier and today you can see the list, not even a single woman was given a position. We had fought with complete strength but this fight will continue. The wrestlers of the new generation have to fight.”

Sanjay Singh was on Thursday elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The Wrestling Federation of India elections were held on Thursday, December 21, after several postponements earlier in the year. The vote took place earlier in the day in New Delhi, and the counting began soon after.

A panel of Sanjay Singh won the WFI election by 40 votes while the other panel got 7 votes.

“National Camps (for wrestling) will be organised. Wrestlers who want to do politics can do politics, those who want to do wrestling will do wrestling,” Singh told the reporters.

Sanjay served on the WFI’s previous executive council. Since 2019, he has also served as the national federation’s joint secretary.

Earlier, this month, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence in the national capital for discussions on the WFI polls.

Sakshi’s husband Satyawart Kadian, a wrestler himself, was also among those who called on the minister. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the wrestlers said they were assured that the government would keep its promise that no one related or close to Brij Bhushan would get a post in the WFI.

As the results are out the press conference is to be held by star wrestlers and Olympic medallists Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who earlier came out against the now-deposed WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

No Plans To Make RT-PCR Testing Mandatory For COVID At Airports

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Amid an uptick in coronavirus infections in India, there is no plan so far to make RT-PCR testing for Covid 19 mandatory at Airports for travellers in the country, official sources in the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

“Currently there is no plan so far to make RT-PCR testing for Covid mandatory at airports,” official sources told ANI.

India had issued revised guidelines dropping the requirement for RT-PCR-based testing of a random 2 per cent of travellers entering India in the month of July.

According to official sources, India reported 21 total cases of COVID-19 JN.1 sub-variant and there is no increase in hospitalisation rates.

There is also no increase in hospitalisation cases and COVID-19 is an incidental finding in people hospitalised due to other medical conditions.

“The hospitalised cases are due to other medical conditions and COVID-19 is an incidental finding,” said official sources.

In the last two weeks, a total number of 23 deaths have been reported so far sources said further.

On Thursday India recorded 594 fresh Covid19 infections while the number of active cases increased to 2,669 from 2,311 reported on Wednesday. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Lived My Life With Honesty, Have Nothing To Hide: Kejriwal

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday responded to the fresh summons issued by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case, saying it was ‘politically motivated’ and ‘illegal’ like the previous one.

“I am ready to accept every legal summons. This summons of ED is also illegal like the previous ones. ED’s summons are politically motivated. They should be withdrawn. I lived my life with honesty and transparency. I have nothing to hide,” CM Kejriwal said in a statement on Thursday.

The ED, on December 18, issued fresh summons to CM Kejriwal, asking him to appear before the central agency for questioning on December 21 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam.

Fellow AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre over the summons issued to the CM, saying that the saffron party uses central probe agencies to intimidate and silence leaders of the Opposition.

She asserted that the AAP won’t bow down to such threats by the ED and the CBI.

Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Atishi said it fears Kejriwal’s model of governance which is why leaders of the ruling AAP were being hounded by the central agencies and put in jail.

“It is clear the BJP are scared of the Aam Aadmi Party and the model of governance of our leader Arvind Kejriwal, which is why the leaders of our party are being thrown in jail one by one. The BJP are using agencies at their disposal to scare us,” Atishi told ANI.

The Delhi CM was first called by the federal agency to appear for questioning on November 2, but he skipped the summons claiming it to be “vague, motivated and unsustainable in law”.

“The said summons is not clear as to the capacity in which I am being summoned i.e. as a witness or a suspect in the above-mentioned case. Please recall the said summons, which is to say the least is vague and motivated and I am advised, unsustainable in law,” Kejriwal stated in his letter to Jogendar, assistant director, ED, after being summoned earlier.

Kejriwal was earlier summoned by the CBI in April this year, in connection with the same case.

However, the CM was not named as an accused in the FIR filed by the CBI on August 17, last year.

In February 2023, Kejriwal’s Deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi’s new excise policy.

The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the Opposition. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Rijiju rips Cong, DMK MPs For Questioning SC Ruling On Article 370

By LokMarg 21st December 2023

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at leaders of INDIA block partners Congress and the DMK over their ‘disparaging’ remarks on the recent landmark Supreme Court ruling, upholding the revocation of special constitutional privileges under Article 370 from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the region into separate Union Territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Sharing a video clip of proceedings in the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, Rijiju posted from his official handle on X, “This is not only pejorative remarks on the Supreme Court but the motive behind is very dangerous for our country’s unity.”

In the video clip shared by the Union Minister, DMK MP Mohamad Abdulla and Congress member Venugopal are heard criticising the apex court ruling on the abrogation of Article 370 on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, prompting a heated exchange with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who scolded the members saying that “they can’t ridicule the judgement of the highest court of law”.

“India is known for its diversity but if we allow Congress & DMK agenda to succeed, India will break up. Freedom of speech is not for self-determination,” the Union Minister added in his post.

Coming to the DMK member’s defence, Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal is heard saying in the clip, “The member has the freedom to speak about that (Supreme Court judgement). He holds every right to criticise the judgment also.”

“Every race has a right to self-determination that appeals to the people of Kashmir,” DMK MP Mohamad Abdulla said in the Upper House, during a debate on two draft legislations on Jammu and Kashmir, ruffling feathers in the Treasury benches.

Taking strong objection to the DMK MP’s remarks, Dhankhar said, “This is improper. The highest court of the land has given a judgement. The honourable member is talking about…You can’t ridicule the judgement.”

“It (Freedom of Speech) does not give you the licence to say whatever you feel. You have to be highly accountable. You have to be accountable,” Dhankhar warned Venugopal.

Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld the Union government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir saying that every decision taken by the Centre on behalf of a State can’t be subject to a legal challenge. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/