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Indian American lawmakers slam Trump’s ‘anti-immigrant rhetoric’

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Washington, Feb 1 (IANS) Prominent Indian-American lawmakers have slammed US President Donald Trump’s first State of Union address in which he equated young immigrants with members of the brutal criminal gang MS-13.

In his 80-minute speech in the House chamber of the Capitol, Trump offered to legalise those who were brought into the country illegally as children — referred to as “Dreamers” and ultimately give them citizenship, while cracking down on criminal gangs as part of his reform package to “bring our immigration system into the 21st century”.

Trump led into his immigration plan on Tuesday by recognizing two families from Long Island whose daughters had been killed by members of MS-13 gang.

He has called on the Congress to come together to enact sweeping immigration reforms that introduce a merit-based system while ending the inflow of extended family members and building a wall to safeguard the borders.

Reacting strongly to the speech on Wednesday, first Indian-American to serve in the US Senator Kamala Harris said: “MS-13 is an example of some of the worst criminal gang behaviour,” but, “to equate that with Dreamers was completely irresponsible”.

“It was scapegoating and it was fear-mongering and it was wrong,” she said.

“Dreamers” became eligible for protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme that former President Obama set up in 2012.

“Dreamers should not be used as a bargaining chip or held hostage in exchange for anti-immigrant policies,” Harris tweeted.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who boycotted the address, also ridiculed Trump’s rhetoric on immigrants and called it “outrageous”.

“The President’s rhetoric was absurd. He wants to slash legal immigration and conflate immigrant families with terrorists and criminals and drains on our economy,” Jayapal tweeted.

Congressman Ro Khanna said: “Trump talked about immigration. His perception is flawed. Real lives are at stake, and I will not stop fighting for the 800,000 Dreamers who deserve nothing less than a clean DREAM Act.”

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he wished that “Trump governed with the same tone of promise and cooperation that he used at times during his speech.

“If only the first year of his presidency had focused on infrastructure, investments in workforce development, and career and technical education, what a different political moment we would all be living in today,” he said.

Voicing his support for immigrants, Democratic US Representative Ami Bera said: “We are a nation of immigrants and that should be celebrated.”

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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