National
Activist claims mafia death threats to withdraw cases against ex-BJP minister (Lead)
Mumbai, Sep 23 (IANS) Activist and ex-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Anjali Damania on Saturday claimed to have received death threats in a call made from a landline number in Karachi.
“At 12.33 a.m., I got a threatening call asking me to withdraw all cases against (former BJP minister) Eknath Khadse,” she said in a statement.
Damania quoted the telephonic conversation: “Tune jeena haram kar rakha hai sabka. Teri family hai na..” (You have made life miserable for everybody. You also have a family).
She said the true caller showed the number (starting with codes +92 21) from a landline in Karachi.
Damania spoke with top officials and lodged a complaint with the Vakola police station in Santacruz east on Saturday morning.
“Informed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) is investigating the matter,” she tweeted later.
Khadse, the senior most BJP leader in Maharashtra, had resigned as the Revenue Minister in June 2014 after his name cropped up in a dubious land deal in Pune.
Subsequently, Damania had also levelled accusations against Khadse of allegedly favouring certain contractors in the multi-crore rupee irrigation scam which is under investigation.
The AAP has strongly condemned the incident and demanded that since this matter concerns a number said to belong to a fugitive don like Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, the investigation must be handed over to specialised agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W) or Intelligence Bureau (IB).
AAP national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said: “This kind of investigation is completely inadequate and the investigation must be handed over to specialised agencies like the RA&W or IB as this number is said to belong to Dawood Ibrahim.”
She pointed out that an ethical hacker Maneesh Bhangale had said in the past that the number belongs to Dawood’s wife Mehajabeen Shaikh and is registered in Karachi.
However, Bhangale was later arrested for making false claims and the Cyber Police are still probing him in the matter while Khadse was given a clean chit.
“This call to Anjali Damania is on Eknath Khadse’s behalf from Dawood’s residence. What more proof is required that Khadse and Dawood work together? What is more important is that the state has totally failed to provide safety to activists and journalists and we fear for the safety of Anjali Damania and her family,” Menon said.
She demanded that the probe should be handed over to a national agency which cannot be influenced by Khadse the way in which the state agencies were influenced in the past.
“Damania should be provided police security immediately. The whole state stands with her in this crusade against corruption,” Menon added.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.