National
Clamour to probe Shiv Sena ‘horse-trading’ of MNS corporators (Lead)
Mumbai, Oct 16 (IANS) A day after MNS President Raj Thackeray hurled allegations of “horse-trading” of his party corporators against his cousin and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP and an NGO on Monday demanded a detailed probe, including by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in the matter.
On Sunday, Raj Thackeray accused rival Shiv Sena of “buying out” six out of seven Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporators in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation for alleged payouts of Rs 5 crore each three days ago.
Taking note, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mumbai Kirit Somaiya on Monday wrote to ED Joint Director Satyavrat Kumar seeking action for “corruption, money-laundering, anti-democratic activities and other malpractices” indulged in by Shiv Sena which engineered the defection of the six MNS corporators to its fold.
“Request to investigate. All actions of/by these six MNS corporators be observed/put on hold till the investigation completed,” Somaiya urged the ED.
Quoting Raj Thackeray, he said it was “money laundering” by Shiv Sena and the six MNS corporators were paid Rs 5 crore each.
Simultaneously, the Jai Ho Foundation has written to the Maharashtra Lokayukta demanding a probe into the revelations made by Raj Thackeray.
“Six municipal corporators are taken into custody by (Shiv Sena). Such corrupt practices and anti-democratic activities should be dealt with strongly,” the Foundation President Afoz Malik wrote to the Lokayukta.
In his plea to the ED, Somaiya also referred to a “hawala transaction” between Chandrakant Patel of Pushpak Bullion and the Shiv Sena and MNS corporators in the matter.
He pointed out that Patel was arrested for money-laundering not long ago by the ED which had reportedly detected similar transactions between him (Patel), the Shiv Sena and its leaders.
On October 13, the six MNS corporators suddenly walked over to the Shiv Sena after which a stunned BJP cried foul, accusing its ally of “horse-trading” and lodging complaints with Maharashtra State Election Commissioner, Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Konkan Development Commissioner.
The MNS chief, whose party is now reduced to a single BMC corporator, attacked his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, charging him with playing “low-level” (neech) politics and allegedly buying the corporators.
Meanwhile, hoping to save its flock, the MNS shot off a letter to the Konkan Development Commissioner asking that the six party corporators, who defected to Shiv Sena, should not be recognized as a separate group.
–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.