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Shah’s rally raises storm in Punjab politics

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Chandigarh: Even before it has been held, BJP president Amit Shah’s rally in Amritsar to launch a campaign against drugs in Punjab has created a virtual storm. It has not only brought out fissures within the Akali Dal-BJP alliance but led to infighting in the Congress too.

The rally, postponed twice this month, was to be held initially Jan 12. The date was later shifted to Jan 22. But, with the Delhi assembly polls announced for Feb 7, it has been postponed again. It will be held some time in February.

After the Punjab BJP leadership announced that the anti-drugs campaign would be launched at Shah’s rally, it caused a lot of heartburn to its ally, the Akali Dal. This was because the BJP gave, and the Akalis assumed, the impression that the blame for the drugs problem was on the Akali Dal government and its leaders.

This was mainly a fallout of the Enforcement Directorate summoning Punjab’s Revenue Minister and Sukhbir Badal’s brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia for questioning in a money laundering racket involving NRIs linked to a Rs.6,000 crore international synthetic drugs racket busted in 2013 by Punjab Police.

The Akalis, led by its president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, tried to pre-empt the BJP rally of Jan 12 by announcing that they would hold protests Jan 5 against the Border Security Force (BSF) along the border with Pakistan for failing to curb smuggling of drugs into Punjab.

The Akali Dal move was to embarrass the Narendra Modi-led government. Sukhbir Badal’s wife and Bikram’s sister Harsimrat Badal is a minister in the Modi cabinet.

The whole episode and statements of Akali Dal and BJP leaders made it clear that the Amit Shah rally had ruffled feathers in the ruling alliance.

As the Akalis announced the Jan 5 date for protests, the BJP shifted the Shah rally to Jan 22. This led to another controversy – this time in the opposition Congress.

Former chief minister and Congress MP from Amritsar Amarinder Singh announced that he would hold a parallel rally the same day (Jan 22) to counter Shah’s rally in Amritsar. He even rallied 35 of the Congress’ 45 legislators and top leaders for the showdown with the BJP.

The Amarinder move was not to the liking of Punjab Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa and his supporters. Feeling isolated, Bajwa tried to hijack the Amarinder move by claiming that the rally to counter the BJP’s rally was a state Congress event.

Amarinder, who has gone public about his dislike for Bajwa and has even sought his removal from the post from the party high command, immediately rebutted Bajwa.

Both Congress leaders were involved in a bitter war of words over countering the BJP president.

The anti-climax was that the BJP postponed the Jan 22 rally saying Shah and other leaders would be busy with the Delhi elections. Amarinder and his camp immediately claimed victory, saying the BJP “ran away” after the threat to counter Shah.

BJP leaders are now saying that the anti-drugs rally will surely be held, but only after the Delhi elections. The new date is set to bring another set of political fireworks in Punjab.

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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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