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Chidambaram case Congress’ Nawaz Sharif moment: Sitharaman
New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Hitting out at former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram over a disproportionate assets case, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said it was the Congress’ “Nawaz Sharif moment” and wondered if party President Rahul Gandhi will probe the matter against one of his senior colleagues.
“For some time now, we have been hearing a lot of action by the Income Tax authorities against Chidambaram and his family. In India, for the Congress, this is the Nawaz Sharif moment,” Sitharaman told the media here.
Citing media reports on the I-T Department’s chargesheet against the Chidambarams for non-disclosure of assets held abroad, Sitharaman alleged that the family was under the I-T scanner for “immovable assets worth Rs 5.37 crore in Cambridge and property worth Rs 80 lakh probably elsewhere in that country, and also probably assets of around Rs 3.28 crore in the US”.
She said there was a parallel in the Chidambarams case with that of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was barred from holding public office for life by that country’s Supreme Court for not disclosing assets held abroad.
“In this (Chidambaram’s) case, the parallels are hard to miss. Therefore, I am wondering if the Congress President — who himself is also out on bail in a financial matter — will comment and tell people if he is going to investigate one of his senior leaders (Chidambaram) for not disclosing assets held abroad,” said Sitharaman, a senior BJP leader.
Sitharaman’s comment came after the Income Tax department informed a special court in Chennai that Chidambaram’s wife Nalini, son Karti and daughter-in-law Srinidhi didn’t disclose their foreign assets and investments while filing their income tax returns.
As per the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, not disclosing foreign assets and investments invites a heavy penalty, besides a jail term of up to 10 years.
The Minister pointed out that time was given to people to disclose their assets abroad but still the Chidambarams did not comply.
“It cannot be an oversight. They cannot say that the chartered accountant forgot to disclose it. He held a very important portfolio, and not one but several of them… a Minister forgets to state his assets abroad,” she said.
Sitharaman also spoke on Nawaz Sharif’s admission on Saturday that Pakistan terror outfits were behind the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. She said that India strongly believed that the handlers of that attack were in Pakistan and Sharif’s remarks vindicated India’s stand.
On November 26, 2008, 10 armed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists sneaked into Mumbai through the sea and carried out coordinated shootings and bombings in Mumbai, killing 166 persons.
–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.