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Ahead of Gujarat battle, BJP MP quits slamming Modi (Roundup)

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New Delhi/Mumbai, Dec 8 (IANS) Dissident BJP Maharashtra leader Nana Patole, who created a flutter by alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi hates criticism, on Friday resigned from the Lok Sabha and the party, jolting the party ahead of the Gujarat elections.

Patole, elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhandara-Gondiya, unleashed a torrent of criticism directed at the Modi government and the BJP, denouncing demonetisation, the GST and the attitude towards the farming community.

He said he submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s office and to the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership. His brief letter to Mahajan read: “Respected Madam, I hereby tender my resignation of my seat in the House with effect from today.”

Patole, the first BJP to quit the party and the Lok Sabha after Modi took office in 2014, created a sensation when he told a public function that the Prime Minister does not like to be questioned and criticized.

On Friday, he said he was “deeply anguished and felt let down by the party”.

The development is seen as a blow to the BJP, coming a day ahead of the first round of the Gujarat Assembly polls on Saturday.

Patole, who has been highly critical of the BJP leadership, said he had quit the Lok Sabha and the party since he was “deeply anguished and felt let down by the party”.

“The objectives with which I had joined the (BJP) party have been belied, but now (post-quitting) I am free of the turmoil in my mind,” Patole told the media shortly after quitting.

“This government came to power with assurances to the people, especially farmers, but they have not been fulfilled. It gave an assurance that the (M.S.) Swaminathan Committee recomendations for doubling farmers’ income will be implemented. But the first thing it did was to tell the Supreme Court that this will not be implemented.”

He said in the past one year alone farmer suicides had increased by 43 per cent in the country and none of the welfare measures for the farming community had been implemented.

“The unemployment situation is very grave. The government had assured 20 million (two crore) jobs to youths every year but no steps have been taken to create new jobs, while government jobs have been cut by 10 percent,” Patole said.

He said the economic situation was alarming, crores of people had lost their jobs after last year’s demonetization and even private banks had been laying off people. At the same time, the Goods and Services Tax had virtually killed small enterprises.

“If people don’t maintain a certain minimum balance in their accounts, banks are charging penalties which is deducted from the poor people’s accounts. They are not even sparing the gas subsidy…,” Patole said.

“It’s going to be a people’s fight. I will not be a part of this government and party. I will fighting along with the people… We will bring a new government.”

Asked why he cannot raise these issues in Parliament, he said people like him were not allowed to speak in the House. “The party decides who will speak (in Parliament).”

Listing the grievances of the farming community, the leader from Vidarbha said he had raised the issue several times with Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis but his letters were not even acknowledged.

To a question, Patole said he had not made up his mind on which party to join but would consider throwing his lot with “some like-minded” political outfit.

In Mumbai, Fadnavis said he would “comment at the appropriate time”.

Earlier this week, Patole shared limelight with senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha who led a farmers’ agitation in Akola for three days, which ended on Wednesday with Fadnavis agreeing to concede all seven major demands.

Patole had earlier labelled the Modi government “deaf and blind” and accused it of favouring top industrialists, all its policies favoured only the corporates.

He also alleged that all central ministers “were always in a state of fear” and that he was “on the hit list but I am not afraid of anyone”.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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.

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