National
Congress wants Mani back in UDF, CPI says no place in LDF
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 (IANS) The Kerala Congress (Mani) with six legislators, currently sitting as an independent bloc in the Kerala Assembly, is being wooed by the Congress to return to the United Democratic Front (UDF), even as the Communist Party of India (CPI) says there is no place for it in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
On Friday, the Congress party made its overture to him, with former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy saying they would be glad if Mani returns to the UDF.
“Even though no talks in this respect have commenced, there is a strong feeling in the UDF that Mani should return to the UDF. This is our wish and Mani now has to take the call,” said Chandy.
In August 2016, the KC (M) led by veteran legislator K.M. Mani decided to leave the UDF, which they were part of for close to over three decades. Mani had said he was leaving because a section in the Congress party was responsible for the rout of the UDF in the May 2016 assembly polls.
Mani was under a cloud over the infamous bar scam case when a bar owner had alleged that he had paid Mani Rs one crore to reopen closed down bars in 2014. Following a huge onslaught by the then Left opposition, after an adverse remark from the Kerala High Court, Mani stepped down in November 2015.
Ever since Mani left the UDF, the CPI-M has been eyeing his party. Now, the bar scam case appears to have settled down, with the Vigilance probing the case on Wednesday submitting a preliminary report saying that there was no evidence to implicate Mani.
For the past two days, the CPI-M leadership has started giving clear signals that Mani is no longer the ‘bad boy’ in Kerala politics.
While the CPI-M overtly and otherwise has expressed that Mani should join the LDF, the CPI has always been against this. On Friday, CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said that while there is no bar on former Left allies (Janata Dal-U) to return, there is “no space for new allies”.
“The Reserve Bank of India has 66 note counting machines and Mani also has one such machine. (At the height of the bar scam, there were widespread reports that Mani was using a counting machine to count all the currency notes that he got as bribe). Also the LDF is not a ventilator to parties, that are on the death bed. Already we have a very good majority and we are not looking for new allies,” said Rajendran.
Mani has six legislators and his son Jose K. Mani is the Lok Sabha member from Kottayam. Mani has denied that the UDF has offered him the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, if he fears that his son might not win from Kottayam for the third time.
“Who is saying all this and why should we ask for the Wayanad seat, when Kottayam is safe with us? I don’t have anything to say on this,” said Mani.
Already the Janata Dal-U led by media baron M.P. Veerendra Kumar left the UDF last week and they have been given the nod by the CPI-M to return to the LDF.
Mani holds prominence in constituencies like Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode and Wayanad, which are presently held by the Congress.
“Mani as soon as he gets cleared in the bar scam case, will join the LDF,” said a top leader in the know of things to IANS, but did not wish to be identified.
–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.