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Media asked to leave Defence Minister’s event after invitation

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By Sarwar Kashani
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) After an email invitation to cover Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s event on Cantonment Boards here on Friday afternoon, journalists were asked to leave the venue because the programme was not open to the media.

The event was held at Raksha Sampada Bhawan on Ulaanbaatar Road in Delhi Cantt area, close to the airport. Sitharaman was to address MPs from cantonments and Vice Presidents of 62 Cantonment Boards in the country.

A Cantonment Board is a civic administration body that comes under the control of the Defence Ministry. It comprises elected members besides ex-officio and nominated members as per the Cantonments Act, 2006

The invitation was sent to media houses in Delhi and Noida on Thursday evening, asking regular Defence Ministry correspondents to cover the event.

However, all the scribes who made it to the event on a hot Friday afternoon were politely asked by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry to leave the auditorium of the National Institute of Defence Estates Management (NIDEM) in the Cantt area before the programme even began.

Asked why, the officials said it was only a photo opportunity and was not open to be covered by journalists. There was no mention of such condition in the invite for the event, also attended by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi and National Conference MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah.

Some reporters wanted to stay back. But the officials insisted that they cannot allow them to remain in the hall.

Before the polite conversation could turn ugly, Defence spokesperson Swaranashree Rao Rajashekar, a 1997 Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officer, stepped in and pleaded with the reporters to leave the hall.

She promised that a press statement of the event would be shared with the media later.

Sources at the venue told IANS that the government was wary of some opposition MPs and Vice Presidents of the Cantonment Boards speaking against its policy of maintaining the cantonment areas.

Some board officials also feared they may raise controversial issues, the sources said.

For example, representatives of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) had planned to discuss a long-pending issue of closure of roads by Local Military Authority (LMA) which has caused outrage in that city.

It was also feared that Farooq Abdullah, one of the most vocal critics of the government, may raise the issue of alleged land encroachment by the Army in Jammu and Kashmir where military camps have been set up in non-cantonment areas.

–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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