Cong claims Rahul’s microphone turned off over NEET issue, Speaker rejects charge

New Delhi, June 28, 2024
The Lok Sabha proceedings started on a stormy note on Friday with the Opposition creating a ruckus in the House over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) issue and also demanding a quick discussion on the same.

The house witnessed some unusual scenes also as Rahul Gandhi claimed that his microphone was turned off and asked the Speaker to switch it on, to which the latter gave a quick rejoinder. The viral video, depicting the Congress leader and Speaker ‘barb-trading’ has been shared by the Congress on its X handle.

When the House reassembled at 12 noon, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded a ‘respectful’ discussion on the NEET issue to show solidarity with the students.

Speaker Om Birla advised him to conform to the house norms and conventions and rather seek a discussion on the same after the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

However, Rahul along with the Opposition persisted with his demand and said: “We wanted to give a joint message to the students of India, on behalf of the Opposition as well as the government that we consider this an important issue. So, we thought that to respect students, we should have a NEET discussion today, a dedicated discussion.”

Replying to Rahul’s charge, Om Birla said, ”I don’t have any button to switch off the microphone. There existed a similar set-up earlier also. There is no mechanism to gag the microphone.”

A video posted by Congress on X shows Rahul asking the Lok Speaker to switch on his microphone. Sharing the video, Congress claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched to silence the voice of the Opposition and students despite lakhs of students staring at a bleak future.

“While Narendra Modi remains silent on NEET, Rahul Gandhi is championing the cause of the youth in the House. However, on such a serious issue, a conspiracy is being done to suppress the voice of youth by switching off microphones in Parliament,” Congress said in the post.

Notably, the NEET (UG) 2024 examinations were conducted on May 5 in around 570 cities, including 14 cities abroad. Over 23 lakh students and medical aspirants appeared for the examinations. However, it got marred by the paper leak controversy, thereby putting the future of many students in peril.

At least 67 candidates were accorded the highest score of 720 out of 720, creating a flutter in the academic circles.

Soon, the issue turned political turn as Union Ministry of Education initially made an outright dismissal of paper leak charges but then formed a high-level committee to probe the irregularities and also make recommendations for reforming the examination system.

Notably, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also registered a criminal case on June 23, regarding NEET (UG) and UGC-NET exams, over alleged lapses in the conduct of examinations by the National Testing Agency (NTA).(Agency)

CM Mamata Banerjee welcomes bail to Hemant Soren

Kolkata, June 28, 2024
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, expressed pleasure over former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren getting bail in the land scam case.

In a post on X, she expressed hope that now being released on bail, Soren will surely start his full-fledged political activities.

“Hemant Soren, an important tribal leader, and Chief Minister of Jharkhand, had to resign because of a case, but today he has received bail from the Hon’ble High Court! I am very happy with the great development and am sure that he will start his public activities immediately. Welcome back, Hemant, amidst us!” the post read.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was arrested on January 31 in connection with money laundering linked to the land scam case.

“I strongly condemn the unjust arrest of Hemant Soren, a powerful tribal leader. The vindictive act by BJP-backed Central agencies reeks of a planned conspiracy to undermine a popularly elected government,” Mamata Banerjee had said.

However, the Congress and the Left Parties then described her concern for Soren as an eyewash.(Agency)

Kareena Kapoor Khan shares ‘Italian selfie’ looking tidy in white

Mumbai, June 28, 2024
Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan is currently enjoying her getaway with her husband Saif Ali Khan and even shared an “Italian selfie” from her vacation.

Kareena took to her Instagram stories, where she shared two pictures. In one image, the actress looks every inch a diva dressed in white, sunglasses and the wind ruffling her hair.

The second photograph showed Kareena standing in front of the mirror wearing a white bodysuit paired with sheer white pyjama. She completed her look with big dark sunglasses.

She captioned the image: “The Italian selfie”.

On Thursday, Kareena shared a string of images from the beach. One image even had her husband and actor Saif Ali Khan photobombing her picture.

She wrote: “For me it’s the one with the photobomber.”

Kareena and Saif met on the sets of the 2008 film “Tashan”. After four years of dating, in 2012 the couple, who are fondly called Saifeena by their fans, got married. They welcomed their first son Taimur Ali Khan in 2016. In 2021, Kareena gave birth to her second son Jeh.

On the professional front, Kareena was recently seen in the heist comedy film “Crew”. She starred alongside Tabu, Kriti Sanon, Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma. It tells the story of three hostesses, who dream of becoming rich and get involved in a gold smuggling operation leading to a series of comedic situations.

Kareena will also be seen in Rohit Shetty’s “Singham Again”, the fifth instalment of Rohit’s popular Cop Universe. It also stars Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.

She will also be seen in a crime thriller directed by Meghna Gulzar, whose latest release is “Sam Bahadur” starring Vicky Kaushal. The upcoming movie will reportedly be based on the Hyderabad rape case.(Agency)

For Amandeep Sidhu, shooting wedding sequence can be very ‘hectic and tiring’

Mumbai, June 28, 2024
Actress Amandeep Sidhu, who stars as a lead in the show ‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ shared how shooting for the wedding sequences is hectic and tiring.

Amandeep, who plays the role of Baani says the wedding sequence in the show feels nothing less than a real wedding.

She said: “Wedding sequences are very hectic and tiring. Honestly, it feels like a real wedding because it becomes extremely exhausting. Wearing heavy outfits continuously for 12 hours a day, for five to six days straight, is very difficult and demanding.

I salute those who have been through a real wedding and managed to carry such heavy lehengas, jewellery, and everything else flawlessly.”

Amandeep, who has been a part of the show ‘Yeh Pyaar Nahi Toh Kya Hai’ also feels that wedding sequences can be very relatable as well as inspirational.

“The audience finds it very relatable. Yesterday, we had an episode where Rajat and I had our Roka, and a fan page commented that they could relate to this episode and the rituals. They said it was very raw and simple, just like the actual rituals,” she said.

She believes the more real and raw we keep it, the more the audience connects.

Talking about her idea of a dream wedding, Amandeep said: “I had dreams about my wedding, imagining the kind of chuddas I would wear, the colour of my lehenga, and all the things I wanted to do.

But after doing so many wedding scenes on the show, I don’t feel like doing anything special anymore. I was once crazy about wearing chuddas, but I’ve worn them so many times on the show that it’s no longer a dream for me.”

“Now, I just want a very simple wedding whenever I get married — maybe just one function and that’s it. It’s very tiring and hectic, so I don’t want a grand wedding. I’m perfectly okay with a simple wedding like Bollywood star Alia Bhatt had,” concluded Amandeep.

Produced by Dreamiyata Entertainment Private Limited, the show features Amandeep Sidhu in the lead. It also stars Bhaweeka Chaudhary as Lavanya, and Aakkash Ahuja as Rajat.

‘Badall Pe Paon Hai’ airs on Sony SAB.(Agency)

Punjab Police makes biggest opium recovery of decade; two held with 66kg opium from Fazilka

Chandigarh/Fazilka, June 28, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

In one of the biggest opium seizures of a decade amidst the ongoing war against drugs launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Fazilka Police has busted an Inter-state Opium smuggling syndicate operating from Jharkhand with the arrest of two big drug smugglers after recovering 66kg Opium kept concealed in a specially designed and fabricated compartments fitted underneath their Maruti Swift car, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

Those arrested have been identified as Sukhyad Singh alias Yad of village Dalmir Khera and Jagraj Singh of village Bhamma Singh Wala in Ferozepur. Apart from recovering big haul of opium, Police teams have also recovered Rs 40000 drug money, 400 grams gold from their possession, besides, impounding their Swift car (PB 05 AC 5015) and a Tractor.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that further financial investigation and meticulous follow up in this case has resulted in unearthing of 42 bank accounts, which were being used for financial transactions by the organised opium syndicate.

“Following a financial trail in less than 24 hours, the Fazilka Police has got freezed all the 42 bank accounts with whooping amount worth Rs 1.86 crore of drug proceeds,” he said.

The DGP said that the Fazilka Police has also initiated the process of property forfeiture under 68F of the NDPS act. Further investigations are on to trace the forward and backward linkages, he added.

Sharing operation details, SSP Fazilka Dr Pragya Jain said that they have received reliable inputs about the arrested accused persons that they are habitual of transporting opium from Jharkhand and would be returning from Jharkhand to Dalmir Khera via Sri Ganganagar in their swift car carrying a substantial quantity of opium.

Acting swiftly on the inputs, a strategic Nakabandi was established by SHO Police Station Khuian Sarvar Raman Kumar along with police party on the Abohar-Ganganagar road at the Bus Stand village Sappan Wali under the supervision of DSP Abohar Arun Mundan and successfully intercepted the specified vehicle, she said.

She said that despite an attempt by the driver to flee, the Police party has successfully apprehended both the accused persons and recovered 66kg opium and Rs 40000 drug money from their possession. During the hot chase, one police personnel also sustained injuries, she added.

SSP Dr Pragya Jain said that the Police teams have also identified the big fish behind this syndicate and the latter has been into smuggling from over two decades and facing at least nine criminal cases pertaining to Attempt to Murder, Theft, under Excise Act and NDPS act. “We have nominated him in the FIR and raids are being conducted to nab him,” she said.

A case FIR No. 71 dated 26.06.2024 has been registered under sections 18 (Punishment for contravention in relation to opium poppy and opium), 27A (Whoever indulges in financing or harbouring Drug peddlers) and 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the NDPS Act at Police Station Khuian Sarwar.

Gayatri Soham, Sanika Amit bond over their Maharashtrian roots on sets of ‘Mangal Lakshmi’

Mumbai, June 28 2024-

Actresses Gayatri Soham and Sanika Amit, who portray a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law respectively in the show ‘Mangal Lakshmi’ have been bonding over their shared Maharashtrian roots.

Their off-screen connection mirrors an unexpected plot twist in the show itself.

Gayatri shares that their love for all things Maharashtrian bonded them, and their onset antics have become the stuff of legends with crew members reporting that once the duo starts chatting, it is nearly impossible to get them to stop.

Talking about Sanika, Gayatri shared: “We are both from the same native place, Nashik, and it is very fun and enjoyable when two Maharashtrians come together to work on a Hindi show. We always talk in Marathi, and the entire crew often gets tired of us. The reel bond is very different from our real bond.”

“In the show, I taunt her and threaten her for taking away my son, but in real life, we make reels together and eat together. On-screen, Lakshmi is seen as very quiet and fears me because I am her mother-in-law, but in real life, we have a lot of fun and dance together. We even teach the Marathi language to other artists,” said Gayatri.

She further added: “We have a very different bond both on and off-screen, but it’s always fun to shoot with her. It’s incredible how we share similar mannerisms and approaches to our craft. I’m sure our Marathi mulgi energy translates wonderfully onscreen.”

In the current storyline, the drama intensifies as Mangal (Deepika Singh) takes on the role of judge in a cooking competition at Adit’s office, which quickly turns tense and leads to Saumya’s unexpected humiliation.

As this unfolds, another crisis looms when Mangal’s father-in-law suffers a sudden heart attack, plunging the family into panic. With Adit’s absence, Mangal steps up, arranging the necessary finances just in time to save his life. Her swift actions and resolve showcase her strength and love for her family.

‘Mangal Lakshmi’ airs on Colors. (Agency)

Samantha admits to making ‘mistakes in the past’ by endorsing unhealthy brands

Mumbai, June 28 2024-

Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu in her podcast discussed the importance of eating healthy and avoiding certain types of foods and beverages.

In the episode of ‘Take 20’, Samantha along with lifestyle and wellness expert Alkesh Sharotri discussed the importance of eating healthy. However, a comment by a user caught Samantha’s attention.

A viewer commented about Samantha promoting healthy foods on the podcast while endorsing unhealthy brands herself. However, the actress acknowledged the comment with honesty.

She said: “I have made mistakes in the past when I didn’t know any better, but I have stopped accepting many many endorsements. I believe in practising what I preach. God bless.”

Samantha, who had shared that she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis in 2022, made her debut with the Telugu film ‘Ye Maaya Chesave’ in 2010. After which, she was seen in films such as ‘Neethaane En Ponvasantham’ and ‘Eega’.

She was then seen in films such as ‘Dookudu’, ‘Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu’, ‘Attarintiki Daredi’, ‘Kaththi’, ‘Theri’, ’24’, ‘Mersal’, ‘Rangasthalam’, ‘A Aa’ ‘Mahanati’, ‘Super Deluxe’, ‘Majili’, ‘Shakuntalam’ and ‘Kushi’. She made her series debut with ‘The Family Man’.

On the occasion of her birthday in April, Samantha announced her maiden Telugu film tentatively titled ‘Bangaram’ under her production banner Tralala Moving Pictures.

Samantha had shared a quirky motion poster and captioned: “Not everything has glitter to be golden… Starting soon.”

The upcoming film marks Samantha’s feature film debut as a producer. It will have the actress playing the lead protagonist. The film is expected to have a multilingual release. Other details about the film are still under wraps.

However, it is reported that the movie will make its way into the theatres in 2025. (Agency)

Punjab Police busts two drug cartels backed by Pakistan-based smugglers; 3 held with 9.2kg Heroin

Chandigarh/Amritsar, June 28, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)

Amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police have busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling cartels being operated by Pakistan-based smugglers with the arrest of three drug traffickers after recovering 9.2Kg heroin (8.2Kg+1Kg) from their possession.

Divulging details of the first operation, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that following reliable inputs, Police teams from Police Station Chheharta under the supervision of ADCP CITY-2 Abhimanyu Rana apprehended two drug smugglers from area of Shiva Enclave in Rajasansi area and recovered 8.2kg heroin from their possession.

Those arrested have been identified as Bachitar Singh of village Jathaul in Amritsar and Sunny of Guru ki Wadali in Chheharta. Accused Bachitar Singh was Proclaimed Offender in a murder case of PS Gharinda since 2021.

Apart from recovering 8.2 kg heroin, Police teams have also recovered Rs 95000 drug money and one electronic weighing machine, besides impounding their Swift car. A case FIR No. 100 dated 27/06/2024 has been registered under sections 21-C and 23/29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.

In other case, DGP Gaurav Yadav said that acting on intel inputs, Police teams from Police Station Ranjit Avenue laid a Nakabandi at Ranjit Avenue Bypass and has arrested Amandeep Singh of village Ranian, Lopoke in Amritsar and recovered recovered 1kg heroin from his possession. Police teams have also impounded his Volkswagen Vento car, in which he was travelling, he added.

In this regard, a case FIR no 91 dated 26/06/2024 has been registered under section 21-C of the NDPS Act at Police Station Ranjit Avenue in Amritsar.

Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Ranjit Singh Dhillon said that as per preliminary investigations, the accused persons were directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers, who were supplying drugs across the state after smuggling from Pakistan via Drones.

He said that further investigations are being conducted to probe the backward and forward linkages in both the cases to unearth the whole network of drug suppliers, dealers and their buyers. Efforts are being made to ascertain the total amount of narcotics procured by the arrested accused persons till date, said the CP.

Desi gangster series ‘Tribhuvan Mishra: CA Topper’ starring Manav Kaul to release on July 18

Mumbai, June 28 2024-

Manav Kaul, Tillotama Shome, Shweta Basu Prasad-starrer desi gangster series ‘Tribhuvan Mishra: CA Topper’ is all set to premiere on July 18 on Netflix.

On Friday, the makers took to social media and dropped the first poster of the upcoming series, which is an ordinary man’s wild ride through chaos and secrets, as he stumbles into a world of comedic mishaps and becomes the target of a dangerous gang of halwaais.

The poster features Manav in the centre and he is sporting a moustache. Then there is Tillotama, wearing a yellow saree and giving 90s vibes. We can also see Shweta donning a saree, sindoor and holding guns in both her hands.

It also features sign boards like ‘Madhur Milaap’, and ‘Urmila Lodge’.

The post is captioned as: “Imbalance life mein ho ya account mein, avail the services of this CA Topper, at your own risk because iski double life, double trouble ke saath aayi hai! Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper, arrives on 18 July, only on Netflix”.

With its distinctive blend of humour, action, and suspense, ‘Tribhuvan Mishra: CA Topper’ is also a refreshing take on the uncharted themes of female agency, all while keeping audiences guessing and laughing out loud.

Showrunner, co-director and creator Puneet Krishna said: “Tribhuvan Mishra’s transformation, driven by desperation and the need to survive, gave us a rich canvas to play with themes of ethics, survival, and those tricky unintended consequences. Writing this series was all about striking the perfect balance between humour and the serious choices he has to make. I can’t wait for everyone to meet Tribhuvan and his crazy world.”

“Our amazing ensemble cast really brought all the characters to life, adding so much depth and authenticity,” added Puneet.

Produced by Ram Sampath, directed by Amrit Raj, and with Puneet Krishna as the writer and showrunner, the series also stars Sumit Gulati, Naresh Gosain, Naina Sareen, Faisal Malik and Ashok Pathak.

‘Tribhuvan Mishra: CA Topper’ will be streaming on July 18 on Netflix. (Agency)

Mrunal Thakur took less than a moment to say ‘yes’ for ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ cameo

Mumbai, June 28 2024-

Actress Mrunal Thakur, who made a special appearance in Nag Ashwin’s directorial ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, was quick to accept the offer to be part of the film, which stars Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone.

“When I was approached for ‘Kalki,’ I didn’t even take a moment to say yes,” Mrunal said.

The actress has previously worked with the producers of the film — Aswani Dutt, Swapna Dutt, and Priyanka Dutt in the film ‘Sita Ramam’, which turned out to be a box-office success.

“I have immense faith in producers Aswani Dutt, Swapna Dutt, and Priyanka. Our successful collaboration in ‘Sita Ramam’ made this an easy decision. And being part of this mammoth of a project and this absolute visionary filmmaking was something I knew I had to be part of,” she said.

Set in the post-apocalyptic world of 2898 AD, the film is inspired by Hindu scriptures. Released on June 27, the film is said to revolve around the modern-day avatar of Vishnu.

Talking about Mrunal, who started her career with her work on television shows such as ‘Mujhse Kuchh Kehti…Yeh Khamoshiyaan’ and ‘Kumkum Bhagya’, made her debut in cinema with Tabrez Noorani’s “Love Sonia” in 2018.

A year later she starred alongside Hrithik Roshan in the film ‘Super 30’ and ‘Batla House’ with John Abraham, both biographicals. She was appreciated for her work in the ‘Sita Ramam’ alongside Dulquer Salmaan.

She was last seen in the romantic action drama ‘The Family Star’ by Parasuram. It also stars Vijay Deverakonda and Mrunal Thakur. She will next be seen in ‘Pooja Meri Jaan’ directed by Navjot Gulati.

The film, which also stars Huma Qureshi and Vijay Raaz, reportedly tells the story of a girl named Pooja who is being stalked by an unidentified admirer. (Agency)