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Maldives not opposed to UN mediating all-party talks: Fisheries Minister

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Male, Feb 22 (IANS) Maldives Fisheries Minister Mohamed Shainee on Thursday denied that the government is opposed to the UN mediation in all-party talks to resolve the ongoing political strife in the Indian Ocean nation.

Shainee made the declaration following reports quoting the deputy spokesperson of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as saying that President Abdulla Yameen had refused to allow the UN’s participation as a mediator in the talks.

Refuting reports as “blatant lies”, Shainee told en.mihaaru.com that Yameen himself had requested the UN’s assistance for the discussions, to which the organization had agreed.

He insisted that the government had openly invited Maldives’ international partners to send envoys to mediate in the talks.

“Those reports are not true. The government had not rejected any such notion. Because from the start the government has been looking to work closely with the international community.”

Stating that the UN had requested the government to establish an environment conducive to the talks, Shainee said that the government on multiple counts had extended invitations to all the political parties to attend the discussions without presenting prior conditions or the parties’ individual interests.

He said that the government had invited the parties twice after the Supreme Court’s ruling on February 1 to release high-profile political prisoners, including former exiled President Mohamed Nasheed and reinstate expelled legislators.

However, the only parties that had agreed to the talks unconditionally were Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), which make up the ruling coalition.

All the opposition parties have refused the government’s terms and presented multiple conditions, demanding the state to comply with them first, said Shainee.

“The international community had called for dialogue without any pre-conditions. The opposition needs to come to terms with that. No one goes to a dialogue with pre-conditions,” he added.

A 15-day state of Emergency was declared on February 5 after the surprise top court order. The order was, however, rescinded shortly after the declaration of the state of Emergency.

On Tuesday, Yameen had got the Parliament contentiously extend the state of Emergency by another 30 days.

–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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