National
Voters in Gujarat looking towards third alternative: Vaghela
Ahmedabad, Oct 15 (IANS) Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Sunday said that people of Gujarat are now looking towards a “third alternative”, as they are unhappy with both the BJP and the Congress.
“The people of Gujarat voted for Congress since 1960, but their expectations were belied. They have been voting the BJP to power for last 22 years. But now, the voters are looking towards a third alternative, and that is where (the recently-formed political forum) Jan Vikalp comes up,” Vaghela said at India TV conclave.
Vaghela, who was Leader of the Opposition, announced his resignation from the Congress on his 77th birthday on July 21, which was soon followed by the resignation of six legislators who joined the BJP ahead of the August 7 Rajya Sabha election.
Vaghela had on September 19 announced his support to a third front – Jan Vikalp – in the state which was announced by Parthesh Patel, a former social media adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and now to Vaghela. It has not been registered as a political party.
The former Congress leader also rejected the charges that he was trying to divide anti-BJP votes.
“Was Arvind Kejriwal trying to divide votes of Congress or BJP in Delhi? Was Mamata Banerjee trying to divide votes of Left and Congress in West Bengal?.
“The politics of third alternative works in the entire country. To say that ours is a B team of BJP or C team of Congress is incorrect,” he said.
However, Vaghela sidestepped queries about the likely result of Gujarat elections, saying: “The people of Gujarat will win. But it will not be easy to defeat the BJP, because it is in power both at the Centre and in Gujarat.”
He also claimed that the Congress could have achieved majority in 2012 elections. “But 28 candidates were changed half an hour before the closing of nominations. The High Command had intervened at the eleventh hour. We won 60 seats, and if we had won 28 more, we could have achieved majority mark in 2012,” he said.
The senior Gujarat leader revealed that BJP had offered him a Lok Sabha nomination in 2014, but he refused. “I was not ready to sacrifice my self-respect.”
Asked about what he told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his ear after hugging him in 2014, Vaghela replied: “Well, it was I who started his hugging habit. He (Modi) then hugged (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, (the US President Barack) Obama, and now (Donald) Trump.
“But the issues that I had raised at that time remain. I had spoken about big expectations of people, return of Kashmiri Pandits to valley, Ram temple in Ayodhya and removal of Article 370. Nothing has been achieved so far,” he said.
“As for what I spoke in Modiji’s ear, that forever shall remain a secret,” he 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.