CM Yogi performs 'Rudrabhishek' at Gorakhnath temple on occasion of Holi

by Manisha Das

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed 'Rudrabhishek' at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur on the occasion of Holi on Monday.

Gorakhpur , March 25: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed 'Rudrabhishek' at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur on the occasion of Holi on Monday.

The Chief Minister also extended his greetings to the people of the state on the occasion and wished for happiness and peace.

"Hearty congratulations and best wishes to the people of the state on Holi, the great festival of colour, enthusiasm, love, joy and social harmony! I wish that your lives be filled with various colours of happiness and that society be drenched in the soulful colours of happiness, peace and goodwill," CM Yogi posted on X.
Earlier on Sunday, CM Yogi Adityanath wished all citizens a happy and auspicious Holi, saying that festivals should be symbols of harmony, peace, and equality.

The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering at the Holika Dahan procession organized by the Holika Dahan Utsav Committee in Pandey Hata.

CM Yogi remarked, "There should be no discrimination anywhere. All the people should stay united. This is the message of Holi too."

He stressed the importance of eliminating discrimination in society and fostering unity for the strength and prosperity of the nation. Emphasising the need to dissolve differences among people, the Chief Minister pointed out that active participation in national interests with a united spirit not only enhances the festive fervour but also contributes to long-term benefits for society.

The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of preserving the rich heritage of Holi, spanning thousands of years and rooted in epochs like Satyayug and passing it down to future generations.

Holi, a festival celebrated with as much fervour in the country, is being celebrated today. The festival is preceded by a ritual of lighting bonfires called Holika Dahan, signifying the burning of the demon Holika.

Amidst the revelry, traditional sweets are shared, fostering a sense of amity and togetherness among the people, with revellers exuding the spirit of joy and love.

(ANI)

BJP Approaches EC Over Sujata Karthikeyan's "Gross Misconduct for BJD's Electoral Gains" In Odisha

by Hemanta Pande

New Delhi/ Bhubaneswar, May 2: The central leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday approached the Election Commission here accusing Odisha’s Mission Shakti Department Secretary, Sujata Karthikeyan of “misusing” her position to mobilise women attached with self-help groups “for electoral gains" of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

A delegation led by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi and senior party leader Om Pathak met the Election Commission and submitted a memorandum in this regard.

"Sujata Pandian, IAS, Commissioner cum Secretary, Mission Shakti, who is the wife of VK Pandian, also known as V Karthikeyan Pandian, is not only affiliated politically to the BJD, but also indulging in grave misconduct through misuse of authority, government machinery, and man power for influencing voters through 'SVEEP' for electoral gains of the BJD," the BJP leaders wrote in memorandum.

The BJP leaders alleged that VK Pandian, who also served as the Private Secretary to CM Patnaik for over a decade, wields considerable influence within the state’s administration.

“In November 2023, after taking voluntary retirement from IAS, Pandian joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party. He was subsequently appointed as the chairman of the state’s flagship programme- 5T transformational initiatives with the rank of a Cabinet Minister...His proximity to the Chief Minister as well as the BJD cannot be overemphasized,” the memorandum reads.

"With a view to preserve the unbiased and unblemished reputation of ECI, it would be the fitness of things to relieve Sujata R. Karthikeyan, IAS, from the post of Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha and not assigned any public dealing duty till the conclusion of the impending Parliamentary and Assembly Elections in the State of Odisha" it says.

SVEEP is the flagship programme of the Election Commission of India for voter education, spreading voter awareness and promoting voter literacy in the country.

Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases, starting from Phase one on May 13, Phase two on May 20, Phase three on May 25 and the final Phase on June 1.

The results will be announced on June 4.

Read More National News

Covaxin Has Excellent Safety Record, Says Bharat Biotech

by Hemanta Pande

Hyderabad, May 2: Bharat Biotech on Thursday said that its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin has an excellent safety record without any vaccine-associated incidents of blood clots, thrombocytopenia, TTS, VITT, pericarditis, myocarditis, etc, as it was developed with a single-minded focus on safety first, followed by efficacy.

The Hyderabad-based company issued a statement amid questions being raised in some quarters over the safety of Covid vaccines after global pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca admitted that its Covid vaccine Covishield, developed by researchers from Oxford University, can cause a rare side effect of blood clotting and low platelet count after immunisation.

As many as 175 crore doses of Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca and manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute, were reportedly administered in India.

Bharat Biotech mentioned that Covaxin was the only Covid-19 vaccine in the Indian government’s Covid-19 immunisation programme to have conducted efficacy trials in India.

"Covaxin was evaluated in more than 27,000 subjects as part of its licensure process. It was licensed under restricted use in clinical trial mode, where detailed safety reporting was carried out for several hundred thousand subjects," the vaccine manufacturer said.

The safety of Covaxin was also evaluated by the Ministry of Health.

"Ongoing safety monitoring (pharmacovigilance) was continued throughout the product life cycle of Covaxin. All the above studies and safety follow-up activities have demonstrated an excellent safety record for Covaxin without any vaccine-associated incidents of blood clots, Thrombocytopenia, TTS, VITT, pericarditis, myocarditis, etc.," it said.

"As seasoned innovators and product developers, the Bharat Biotech team was well aware that, while the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines may be short-lived, the impact on patient safety could last a lifetime. Hence safety is the primary focus for all our vaccines," it added. (IANS)

CM Yogi performs 'Rudrabhishek' at Gorakhnath temple on occasion of Holi

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