National
Raid on Minister: Tax official denies Karnataka CM’s charge
Bengaluru, Nov 9 (IANS) A top Income Tax official of Karnataka on Thursday denied Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s charge that department officials who raided a state Minister in August had asked him to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and dubbed it “baseless”.
“We strongly deny the Chief Minister’s allegation that is baseless. No Income Tax officer has made such a statement to the Minister or anyone else,” the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) said in a statement here without naming the Minister.
Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that the tax officials had asked Karnataka Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar to join the BJP.
“Imagine the level of saffronisation happening. Tax officials asked Shivakumar to join the BJP,” the Chief Minister said at a protest rally the ruling Congress held here to mark one year of the central government’s demonetisation.
On accusations by political leaders that the searches were politically motivated, the official said the Income Tax Department was professional and politically neutral.
“The searches carried out have, without exception, resulted in admission and detection of previously undisclosed income running into hundreds of crores of rupees and seizure of large amount of cash and jewellery,” said the official.
Income Tax officials on Monday interrogated Shivakumar over the documents pertaining to assets, including cash, jewellery and properties seized during the raids conducted from August 2 to 5 on him, his relatives and friends in the city for alleged tax evasion and non-disclosure of income disproportionate to his sources of income.
As per the nomination filed in the 2013 assembly elections, Shivakumar had declared assets valued at Rs 251 crore, making him one of the richest politicians in the country.
–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.