National
Only Congress can challenge BJP, says Sharad Pawat
Pune, Feb 21 (IANS) Only the Congress has the ability to challenge the country’s ruling BJP presently, and its ‘acche din’ will come, predicted Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar here on Wednesday.
The veteran politician was replying to blunt questions thrown by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray who was “interviewing” him at a mega public function organized by Jagtik Marathi Academy.
“In the past, the Congress had a strong organizational presence in the districts, states and all over India. That is not so now… the party is changing. However, even the (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi is also changing. He is willing to learn,” Pawar said.
“Only the Congress can give a challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party. With Rahul maturing and learning, I think ‘achhe din’ will dawn for the Congress,” Pawar said, responding to wide-ranging questions for nearly 90 minutes.
The encounter at the jampacked BMCC grounds created the desired fireworks, with Thackeray throwing political missiles and Pawar skillfully grabbing them or dodging them as he deemed fit as the two leaders shared a dais after more than 10 years.
When Thackeray asked if is “hazardous to speak the truth in politics,” Pawar replied that “it is imperative to be truthful in politics, but when there are difficulties, its better to keep quiet”.
In an indirect barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pawar said irrespective of differences in political ideologies, “elders must be accorded respect always” and said that the recent attack on India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru “was not proper.”
He pointed out how former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had set principles in political life – “which is lacking now,” and compared how when Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister, he “used to make personal attacks on (then) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh”.
“That was the reason why Congress Chief Ministers were bitter about Modi, but I used to intervene to sort out issues,” Pawar said.
Replying to a question, Pawar said responsible leaders should think of the country as a whole and “not just Gujarat or Ahmedabad”.
“Why does Modi take all foreign leaders only to Gujarat? Why can’t he show them all other states, including Maharashtra?” he asked.
To a question by Thackeray if Modi – who once described himself as a student of Pawar – listens to the NCP chief, Pawar replied: “I have amicable relations with Modi. I advised him many times, but he never heeded me anytime.”
“Modi has the ability to work hard but running a state and governing a country are very different. For managing the country, you need a team which is lacking for Modi,” he added.
He expressed concern how, in recent years, casteism is raising its head, “but it will not survive for long” and advised Thackeray to propagate the principle of his uncle (the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray), who never believed in caste, creed or community, but was a staunch nationalist.
When Thackeray asked whether the proposed Bullet Train was intended to break off Mumbai from Maharashtra, Pawar replied “as nobody will go from Maharashtra to Gujarat, the Bullet Train will lead to overcrowding of Mumbai..”
–IANS
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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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