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Sharad Yadav meets fasting YSR Congress MPs, expresses solidarity
New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) Veteran socialist leader and former Union Minister Sharad Yadav on Monday met the YSR Congress MPs who have been on an indefinite hunger strike since April 6 demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
Yadav met MPs Midhun Reddy and Avinash Reddy at Andhra Bhawan here and extended his support to the YSR Congress party’s cause.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not fulfil his promises made for Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation. The fight by YSR Congress for special category status to Andhra Pradesh is genuine and they have been doing great work,” he said.
Shard Yadav said that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave assurance in Parliament that every problem after division would be addressed by the Central government, but after taking over as Prime Minister in 2014, Modi has “ignored it”.
The hunger strike was launched on April 6 after all the five YSR Congress Lok Sabha members tendered their resignations to the Speaker.
Two senior MPs, Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, 73 and Varaprasada Rao, 64 were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after their condition deteriorated due to continuous fasting. However, they are continuing the fast in the hospital against medical advice.
The rest of the MPs — Y.V. Subba Reddy, Midhun Reddy and Avinash Reddy — are continuing their hunger strike at Andhra Bhawan.
The YSR Congress has been demanding special category status to Andhra Pradesh, which entails special financial packages and other perks from the Central government, on the contention that after Telangana was carved out of the state in 2014, most of the revenue sources including the capital city of Hyderabad have gone to Telangana.
The residuary state of Andhra Pradesh is developing Amravati as its capital and has been demanding financial assistance from the Centre for that.
The ruling Telugu Desma Party (TDP) also stalled Parliament over this demand before it walked out of the BJP-led ruling coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March.
–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
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.