National
Mukul Roy joins BJP, calls it ‘secular’ force (Lead)
New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) Former Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy on Friday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here, and said he believed that it is a “secular” force.
“I believe BJP is not a communal force, it is a secular force and it rules the country…” Roy said soon after formally joining the party.
“I believe in the leadership of Narendra Modi ji, Kailash Vijayvargiya ji and Amit (Shah) bhai, in the near future, BJP will come to power in West Bengal for the benefit of people of West Bengal,” he said.
Roy recalled that the Trinamool fought Lok Sabha elections in 1998 for the first time as a partner of the BJP and again in 1999, was a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance after which Mamata Banerjee also became a minister in then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet.
“I feel without BJP, TMC could not have established (itself) then,” he said.
BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad meanwhile said that Roy, one of Trinamool’s founding members will help BJP expand its footprint in West Bengal.
“Today a veteran public figure and political leader, Mukul Roy has joined BJP. He helped TMC come to power in West Bengal, and has been an MP for 12 years,” he said, adding that the “most notable feature” of his political life is that for 30 years of the Left government led by the CPI-M “where voice of dissent had no place”, he fought against “atrocities”.
Stressing Roy offered to join the BJP without any conditions, he said: “He is coming to BJP at a time when it is expanding its footprint in Bengal.”
Roy quit the Banerjee-led party on September 25 and resigned as a Rajya Sabha member on October 11.
–IANS
ao/vd
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.