Category: News

India's Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan

India’s CDS Gen Chauhan Lays Wreath At Hiroshima Peace Park During Japan Visit

By LokMarg

India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, during his Japan visit, laid a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan in remembrance of the victims of Hiroshima, defence officials said.

He also laid floral tributes at the Gandhi Statue, aimed at enhancing peace and tranquillity in the region.

Further, the CDS was also given a detailed brief at the Hiroshima Museum. The Indian CDS is on a bilateral visit to Japan to strengthen military ties between the two nations, the officials also said.

Earlier, on Tuesday, CDS General Chauhan also visited Japan’s Yokosuka Base, strengthening the defence ties between the two countries.

He was given an overview of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force mission by Vice Admiral Saito Akira, Commander-in-Chief, the Self-Defence Fleet.

The visit was aimed at reinforcing strategic cooperation while highlighting the growing importance of the India-Japan defence partnership.

Chauhan departed from New Delhi for Japan on Sunday (December 10) night to discuss defence ties between the two Asian countries, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official press release.

The visit is aimed at further robust defence ties between the two nations and underscores the growing importance of India-Japan defence cooperation.

During his visit, General Chauhan is scheduled to interact with the senior military leadership of Japan and will visit defence formations and establishments. The key highlights of the tour include a call-on with the Minister of Defence, Minoru Kihara, a meeting with the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Japan Self-Defence Forces General Yoshida Yoshihide, besides interactions with Commissioner of Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) Fukasawa Masaki, and also with Vice President of the National Institute of Defence Studies (NIDS), Japan Major General Adachi Yoshiki.

Additionally, the CDS will interact with the faculty and research scholars at NIDS and also visit military establishments. The meetings and interactions will be aimed at fostering mutual understanding, exchanging views on regional security, contributing towards strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, and cooperating in the field of defence equipment and technology, the ministry said.

The CDS will also visit Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) units and undertake interactions with the Commander in Chief Self-Defence Fleet at Funakoshi JMSDF Base.

The press statement read, “India and Japan celebrate 71 years of diplomatic ties in 2023. This visit underscores the commitment of both nations to strengthen the special strategic and global partnership. Demonstrating the enduring camaraderie that has flourished between India and Japan over the past 70 years, the visit will further boost bilateral cooperation on a host of strategic issues, particularly in defence collaboration.” (ANI)

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Official Secrets Act (OSA)

Delhi Court Sends Parliament Attack Accused Lalit Jha To 7-Day Police Remand

By LokMarg

The Patiala House Court here on Friday granted seven-day custody of Lalit Jha, the accused in the Parliament security breach case, to Police.

Lalit Jha was brought to the concerned judge of Patiala House Court. He was also provided legal aide counsel, Advocate Umakant Kataria.

The Delhi Police while seeking 15-day custody of Jha told the court, “He is a mastermind. We need his custody to unearth the whole conspiracy and main motive behind the incident. We need to travel and take him to different cities and places. We need custody to recover the mobile devices also.”

However, the court sent him to a seven-day police remand.

The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. Two people–Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D–jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted anti-establishment slogans before being overpowered by the MPs. Outside it, in another incident, two protestors — Neelam (42) and Amol (25) — protested outside the Parliament with similar gas canisters. However, all four were sent to seven-day custody of Delhi Police Special Cell on Thursday.

Last night, senior police officials, including two Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) and Additional Commissioners of Police, interrogated Lalit Jha, during which he narrated the whole incident to officials.

According to sources, during interrogation, it came to light that preparations for the attack were being made months ago. An entry pass was necessary for entry into Parliament; hence, it was not available. Lalit had asked everyone who could arrange the pass so that they could easily enter Parliament.

From a hotel in Rajasthan Lalit was continuously keeping an eye on ongoing developments and police movements through news channels, they said.

According to sources, to unearth more details in the case, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has formed six teams that will go to the locations linked with the accused in Lucknow, Mysore, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Haryana.

The investigation also revealed that two pairs of shoes were made on special order in Lucknow, as the accused discovered that shoes do not get checked in Parliament and this can be an easy way to carry the smoke canister inside the parliament.

Meanwhile, Special Cell will recreate the scene of Wednesday’s Parliament security breach by taking the accused to the Parliament complex on Saturday or Sunday, sources said.

According to sources, the accused will be taken to Parliament to recreate the scene of the crime. This will help the police find out how the accused entered the Parliament building with colour spray and how they executed their plan, sources from the Special Cell said. (ANI)

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Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik

Oman Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Lands In Delhi For Maiden India Visit

By LokMarg

Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has landed at the national capital airport for his maiden visit to India.

He was welcomed by V Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs of India.

Notably, MoS MEA Muraleedharan paid an official visit to the Sultanate of Oman from October 18 to 19 earlier this year.

“His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik of Oman arrives to a warm welcome in New Delhi on his first State Visit to India. Received by @MOS_MEA at the airport. The visit will further reinforce the longstanding friendship and cooperation between India & Oman and strengthen bilateral ties,” posted MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi on X.

The Sultan of Oman has begun his three-day state visit to India today.

He is visiting the country with a high-level delegation of senior ministers and officials, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official release.

India and Oman share a long-standing friendship rooted in historical, cultural, and economic ties. Moreover, people-to-people contact between India and Oman can be traced back 5,000 years.

The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1955, and the relationship was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2008.

According to MEA, this will be the first state visit of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India and marks a significant milestone in the diplomatic relations between India and Oman.

Upon arrival here in the national capital, Oman’s Sultan will also be called on by the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar today (Friday), the MEA said in a release.

The Sultan of Oman is visiting India at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu and will be received by PM Modi and President Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for a ceremonial welcome on December 16.

He will also visit the National Gallery of Modern Art here and hold a meeting with PM Modi at Hyderabad House on day two of his visit.

During his visit, PM Modi will also host a luncheon in his honour.

The visit will be an opportunity to explore avenues for future collaboration between India and Oman for regional stability, progress and prosperity, the MEA release said.

Oman is India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region as well, and defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Oman, according to MEA.

Oman is the only country in West Asia with which all three services of the Indian Armed Forces conduct regular bilateral exercises and service-level staff talks.

Given the strong relationship with Oman, India also extended a special invitation to the Sultanate of Oman to participate in the G20 Summit and meetings as a guest country under India’s G20 Presidency.

Oman actively participated in over 150 working group meetings, and nine ministers from Oman participated in various G20 ministerial meetings. (ANI)

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Hardik Pandya IPL 2024 Rohit Sharma

Hardik To Succeed Rohit Sharma As Mumbai Indians Captain For IPL 2024

By LokMarg

Mumbai Indians (MI), the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, announced on Friday that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be leading the team in the 2024 edition of the league.

“Mumbai Indians today announced a significant leadership transition for the upcoming 2024 season. Renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to take the helm as the captain of the Mumbai Indians, succeeding its longest-serving, one of the most successful and loved captains the illustrious Rohit Sharma,” MI said in a statement.

In November this year, Pandya moved from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) after a trade between both franchises. The all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign with aplomb. In GT’s debut season in 2022, Hardik ensured a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy, while they finished runners-up in their second season after a last-ball defeat in a thrilling final earlier this year.

Pandya has big shoes to fill as the new skipper of MI, as Rohit has led the franchise to five IPL title wins.

In 31 matches for GT from 2022-23, Pandya scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87*. He also had 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.

Pandya also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20.

Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022).

Commenting on this transition Mahela Jayawardene, Global Head of Performance, Mumbai Indians said, “It is part of legacy building and staying true to the MI philosophy of being future-ready. Mumbai Indians have always been blessed with exceptional leadership right from Sachin (Tendulkar) to Harbhajan (Singh) and Ricky (Ponting) to Rohit, who while contributing to the immediate success have always had an eye on strengthening the team for the future. It is in keeping with this philosophy that Hardik Pandya will assume captaincy of Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2024 season.”

“We express our gratitude to Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership; his tenure as the captain of the Mumbai Indians since 2013 has been nothing short of extraordinary. His leadership has not only brought unparalleled success to the team but has also solidified his place as one of the finest captains in the history of the IPL.”

“Under his guidance, MI became one of the most successful and loved teams ever. We will look forward to his guidance and experience on and off the field to further strengthen MI. We welcome Hardik Pandya as the new captain of MI and wish him all the very best,” concluded Mahela. (ANI)

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Bhajanlal Sharma Rajasthan

Bhajanlal Takes Oath As Rajasthan CM

By LokMarg

BJP MLA from Sanganer, Bhajanlal Sharma took the oath as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan on Friday at a swearing-in ceremony in Jaipur.

The oath of office was administered by Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with BJP National President JP Nadda, attended the occasion.

Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa were also sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers of the state.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje also attended the swearing-in ceremony, along with Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Nitin Gadkari also attended the event.

Bhajanlal Sharma belongs to Rajasthan’s eastern district, Bharatpur and is considered to have strong backing from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

He holds a master’s degree in political science. He won the Sanganer assembly seat by an impressive margin, securing 145,162 votes against his Indian National Congress (INC) opponent, Pushpendra Bhardwaj, who polled 97,081 votes.

Prem Chand Bairwa is the sitting BJP MLA from the Dudu constituency in Rajasthan. Bairwa won the seat in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly Election by defeating Congress candidate Babulal Nagar with a margin of 35,743 votes.

Diya Kumari who is part of the erstwhile Royal Family of Jaipur, won from the Vidyadhar Nagar constituency in Jaipur against Congress’ Sitaram Agarwal with a margin of 71,368 votes.

In Rajasthan, the BJP registered victories on 115 seats, and the Congress came in a distant second with 69 seats.

Rajasthan went to the polls for 199 of the 200 assembly seats on November 25. The majority mark in the state is 100. (ANI)

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Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute

SC Adjourns Plea Of Mahua Against Expulsion From LS

By LokMarg

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned for January 3, 2024, the plea of Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra against her expulsion from Lok Sabha in a cash-for-query case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti deferred the hearing, saying it had not gone through the case files.

“I got the file in the morning; I did not have time to scan it. Can we keep it on January 3rd or 4th? I would like to go through this,” Justice Khanna told senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, and posted the matter on January 3.

Moitra approached the top court, challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha.

Moitra was on December 8 expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House.

Moitra, who was not allowed to speak during the discussion inside the House, said that the Ethics Committee broke every rule. Speaking outside Parliament on December 8 she had vowed to fight back.

“I am 49 years old and for the next 30 years, I will fight you inside the Parliament and outside; in the gutter and on the streets…We will see the end of you…This is the beginning of your end…We’re going to come back and we’re going to see the end of you,” Moitra had said.

The expelled Lok Sabha MP alleged that she has been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that ‘does not exist’.

Moitra further alleged that the findings are solely based on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms and her right to cross-examine them was snatched.

“None of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner, who, with malafide intention, masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committee. The two testimonies have been used to hang me there at polar opposites to each other,” she said.

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the TMC MP had recommended that Moitra “may be expelled” from the Lok Sabha and called for an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the central government in a “time-bound manner”.

The report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. The report on Moitra’s cash-for-query case revealed that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023, while her login was accessed several times. (ANI)

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Venezuelan oil Hardeep Singh Puri

India Will Buy Venezuelan Oil: Hardeep Singh Puri

By LokMarg

India will buy Venezuelan oil, said Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday adding that Indian refineries are capable of processing the heavy oil from the South African country.

Speaking to reporters at an event, Puri stated that New Delhi is willing to resume oil import with any nation that is not under sanction.

This comes after the US in October eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector. The sanctions were imposed to punish Maduro’s government following his 2018 re-election.

“India will buy Venezuelan oil. Many of our refineries including one in Paradip are capable of processing heavy oil from Venezuela. We are willing to resume (oil import) with anyone who is not under sanction sanction,” he said.

“We are in a situation where we are using crude oil 5 million barrels/ per day. And it is increasing every day. If Venezuela oil comes to market we will welcome it,” he added.

India last imported Venezuelan crude in 2020 when the U.S. imposed secondary sanctions on the nation/ The U.S. imposed harsh sanctions on Venezuela to punish Maduro’s government following his 2018 re-election.

The South American country is producing some 850,000 barrels per day (BPD) of crude with a target of soon reaching 1 million BPD.

India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, has embarked on a strategic journey to reshape its energy landscape.

As a nation heavily reliant on overseas oil, accounting for over 80 per cent of its needs, India aims to curtail its crude import bill and bolster its refining capabilities.

This pursuit has led India to explore diverse sources, and one country that has caught its attention is Venezuela.

Venezuela, a historical player in the global oil industry, has been producing oil since 1914. With proven oil reserves of 299,953,000,000 barrels, as of 2016, Venezuela stands as one of the world’s leading holders of oil reserves, representing about 18.2 per cent of the global total.

India, eyeing opportunities to diversify its oil sources and strengthen its refining capabilities, is keenly exploring collaborations and partnerships with Venezuela. (ANI)

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Modi Pays Tribute To Sardar Patel On His Death Anniv

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his death anniversary on Friday.

PM Modi said that Sardar Patel’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the nation’s unity laid the foundations of modern India.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Tributes to the great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his Punya Tithi. His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the nation’s unity laid the foundations of modern India. His exemplary work guides us towards building a stronger, more united country. We continue to draw inspiration from his life and work towards realising his dream of a prosperous India.”

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also paid tribute to Sardar Patel saying “Heartfelt tribute to the Bharat Ratna awarded Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his death anniversary. His tireless efforts to keep the integrity and sovereignty of the country intact with the feeling of one India and the nation being supreme will always remain an example for every countryman.”

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

“When the people become united, then even the cruellest rule cannot stand before them’ ~’Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’…Tributes to the Iron Man of India, the first Deputy Prime Minister of the country, former Congress President and our idol, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who made independent India a complete nation, on his death anniversary. The personality and thoughts of Sardar Patel ji will always inspire the coming generations to serve the nation,” Kharge posted on X.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, also known as the Iron Man of India, was born on October 31, 1875, in Gujarat’s Nadiad.

He played a crucial role during the freedom struggle of India and was instrumental in the

integration of over 500 princely states into the Indian Union.

He was also the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of the independent India.

Patel died on December 15, 1950, after suffering a heart attack at Birla House in Mumbai.

He was conferred the Bharat Ratna Award posthumously in 1991. (ANI)

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India's first woman candidate Uma Sekhar UNIDROIT

India’s Uma Sekhar Gets Elected To Governing Council Of UNIDROIT

By LokMarg

In a historic decision, India’s first woman candidate, Uma Sekhar, was elected to the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) on Thursday, according to sources.

Notably, the Governing Council consists of 25 positions, all of which are held by distinguished legal experts.

According to the sources, the candidates from Russia, the USA and China failed to win positions on the governing council.

In today’s election, there were 32 contestants in the fray including those from USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, France, and others.

Uma Sekhar was elected to the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) with 45 votes out of 59 votes in the first round at the elections held in Rome, Italy, the source said.

The source said that in order to be elected to the Governing Council, 21 votes were required.

India will be a member of the Governing Council for the period 2024-28, it added.

Following the election of India to the governing council of UNIDROIT, the Embassy of India in Rome said that it is a privilege to be a part of organisation’s policy making process.

“Delighted to announce that India got elected to UNIDROIT Governing Council today in a fiercely contested election. Privileged to be part of the organisation’s policy making process. India also successfully completes its tenure as President of the GA for the year 2022-23. @MEAIndia” the Indian Embassy in Rome wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) is an independent intergovernmental Organisation with its seat in Rome, Italy.

Its purpose is to study needs and methods for modernising, harmonising and co-ordinating private and in particular commercial law as between States and groups of States and to formulate uniform law instruments, principles and rules to achieve those objectives. (ANI)

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Japanese Ministers Quit As Fumio Kishida Faces Trust Deficit

Japanese Ministers Quit As Fumio Kishida Faces Trust Deficit

By LokMarg

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in the process of reshuffling his cabinet in response to the resignation of many ministers, including government spokesman and close ally Hirokazu Matsuno, due to a significant corruption scandal inside the ruling party, Al Jazeera reported.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno resigned on Thursday, following the resignation of Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister for Economy and Industry.

Junji Suzuki, the minister of internal affairs, and Ichiro Miyashita, the minister of agriculture of Japan announced their resignations, as five deputy ministers were also let go, according Al Jazeera, citing Jiji Press and other Japanese media.

All of the ministers are members of the largest and most influential faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), known as the ‘Abe faction’ after the assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe.

A criminal inquiry against the group has been launched by Japanese authorities over its claims that it received over 500 million yen (USD 3.5 million) in fundraising earnings that went missing from party accounts, Al Jazeera reported citing media reports.

Making the announcement at a news conference, Matsuno said, “In light of the various allegations made regarding political funds, which have shaken the public trust in politics, and the various allegations made regarding my own political funds, I have submitted my resignation.”

Yoshimasa Hayashi, who served as foreign minister until September, will now replace him.

Kishida, who has ruled Japan virtually continuously since the conclusion of World War II, battled to control the impact of the controversy in the party and declared late on Wednesday that he would restructure his cabinet.

He expressed sadness that the scandal had increased political mistrust and vowed to act quickly to address it.

Meanwhile, Kishida’s public support dropped to its lowest since he took office in October 2021, plummeting to roughly 23 per cent after the news of the most recent controversy surfaced a few weeks ago.

The elections need not be held until October 2025, as the prime minister has already reorganised his government twice. Historically, a weak and dispersed opposition has found it difficult to gain ground against the LDP.

On Wednesday, an unsuccessful no-confidence move against Kishida was spearheaded by opposition parties, including the Japanese Constitutional Democratic Party (CDPJ), according to Al Jazeera.

The leader of the Japanese Communist Party Kazuo Shii referred to the controversy as “a bottomless, serious problem”. (ANI)

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