Grandson Aarav lights Rajesh Khanna's pyre

July 19, 2012

Rajesh-Khanna-Dies

Mumbai, July 19: The last rites of Rajesh Khanna were performed by his grandson Aarav at the Vile Parle crematorium Thursday with family, friends and fans bidding the superstar a tearful adieu.

The actor's nine-year-old grandson thrust a torch into the pyre with the help of his actor-father Akshay Kumar, who is married to Rajesh Khanna's elder daughter Twinkle, and the body of the superstar, who became heartthrob of millions since attaining stardom in 1969, was engulfed in flames.

The actor, fondly called Kaka by his family and friends, passed away Wednesday morning following a liver infection. He was 69.

His last journey generated the same frenzy that he did when he attained stardom in the 1970s.

The legend's final journey started around 10 a.m. from his residence Aashirwad in Bandra. His body, in a transparent casket, was placed on a mini-truck decorated with white flowers and the crowd moved along with it.

Thousands, including the superstar's fans, friends, family and film fraternity members gathered to say a tearful goodbye to Rajesh Khanna, signifying the loss of a great star.

The procession started from his Bandra residence and went through Carter Road, Turner Road and S.V. Road before reaching the crematorium. The original plan was to have a longer procession, but due to rain it was kept short, but it didn't deter his fans, who gathered in huge numbers.

The frenzy was perhaps just what the Bollywood's first superstar had been missing all these years.

It was a farewell that the superstar deserved.

With him on his last journey were his estranged wife Dimple, who took care of him in the last days, his younger daughter Rinke and son-in-law, Akshay. Twinkle was missing from the procession as she is in the family way.

Among the Bollywood big wigs who attended his last rites were Amitabh Bachchan, his successor as superstar, Sudhir Mishra, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Sajid Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Aadesh Shrivastava.

Rajesh started his career with the 1966 film "Akhari Khat" and went on to give hit films like "Aradhana", "Kati Patang", "Anand" and "Amar Prem" that propelled him to dazzling fame.

His last words before his demise, according to megastar Amitabh Bachchan, were "Time to pack up" i true Bollywood-style.


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News Network
June 16,2020

New Delhi, Jun 16: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said that he has been hospitalised after suffering from high-grade fever and a sudden drop in his oxygen level.

He tweeted to inform that he was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) here, a dedicated COVID-19 facility under the Delhi government.

"Due to high-grade fever and a sudden drop of my oxygen levels last night I have been admitted to RGSSH. Will keep everyone updated," Jain tweeted.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Bhopal, Jun 20: A senior BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh tested COVID-19 positive hours after he cast his vote for the Rajya Sabha polls in the state and attended party meetings, an official said on Saturday. The legislator's wife has also tested positive for the infection, he said.

Voting for three Rajya Sabha seats in the state took place on Friday.

The couple's test reports came on Friday night and the news of the MLA's infection triggered panic among other MLAs with some of them reaching hospitals to get themselves tested.

"The MLA and his wife were found infected with COVID- 19 in the tests conducted by a private laboratory. We are examining their condition and making a decision whether they need to be hospitalised or home quarantined," a health department official told.

He said that the MLA's contact tracing has been initiated.

"Further tests are also being conducted," he said.

He is the second legislator in Madhya Pradesh, who was tested coronavirus positive.

Earlier, a Congress MLA was found infected. He had voted for the Rajya Sabha polls on Friday after reaching the state assembly complex wearing a PPE suit.

Talking to , a member of the BJP MLA's family said that the medical team was called on Friday afternoon for the COVID-19 test after the legislator's wife complained of uneasiness.

"The MLA and his wife gave the samples to the medical team for the COVID-19 tests on Friday afternoon and they were told at night that both of them have tested positive for the infection," he said.

After the news of BJP MLA testing positive spread, a senior BJP MLA from Mandsaur, Yashpal Singh Sisodiya, reached government-run J P Hospital here along with two other party MLAs.

Talking to reporters, Sisodiya said, "I came here along with two other MLAs from our division- Dilip Makwana (Ratlam Rural) and Devilal Dhakad (Garoth)- after we came to know through media and social media that one of the MLAs from our division has tested positive for COVID-19."

"We don't have any symptoms, but came to test for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure," he said.

Dhakad said that he came for testing as he had dined with the MLA two days back.

Talking to , Madhya Pradesh State Assembly's Principal Secretary A P Singh said that all the precautionary measures were taken during the Rajya Sabha polling.

"All employees were in safety gears during the Rajya Sabha election process. The assembly campus was being sanitised every 15-20 minutes during the polling process...We are now going through the CCTV footage to trace those who had come in his contact," he said.

Congress MLA and former minister P C Sharma said that those who came in contact with the BJP legislator should be traced and quarantined.

"The employees and MLAs who came in contact with him during the voting process should be tested," Sharma said.

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News Network
January 31,2020

Jan 31: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as "historic" in his address to joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, prompting protests by some opposition members.

He also said that debate and discussion on any issue strengthens democracy while violence during protests weaken it.

"The Citizenship Amendment Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of our founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi," he said.

"Debate and discussions strengthen democracy, but violence during protests weaken democracy," he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country some of which have witnessed violence.

In a reference to abrogation of Article 370, Kovind said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country.

The president said Parliament has created record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations.

"My government is taking strong steps for making this decade as India's decade and this century as India's century," he said.

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