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Lakhs join ‘Tweet Morcha’ against fuel price hike
Mumbai, June 2 (IANS) People across the country tweeted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday demanding a cut in fuel prices in a unique “Tweet Morcha” organised by the Mumbai Congress.
The online protest was organised by state party President Sanjay Nirupam and author Sucheta Dalal and joined by prominent Mumbaikars, celebrities and civil society members.
“The objective of this protest is to build public pressure on the non-responsive BJP governments at the Centre and in state and to spur them to act on rising fuel prices,” Nirupam said.
The “Tweet Morcha” was a follow-up of last week’s series of street processions organised by the Congress, but lack of positive action from the government has agitated people further, he said.
“Mumbai has seen a consistent hike in fuel prices despite the price of crude oil decreasing internationally. While this has disrupted the budget of the common man, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has reached new heights of insensitivity as they decided to reduce the petrol prices by one paisa. This is not acceptable to the masses,” he added.
The tweets, demanding a curb on the fuel prices at the earliest, were sent to the Prime Minister and the Maharashtra Chief Minister using #TweetMorcha and #CutFuelTaxes.
“The BJP government strategically froze the prices of diesel and petrol in Karnataka during the campaign before the May Assembly elections. However, the fuel prices have been witnessing a continuous hike since then.
“The government has been waiving the huge loans of the businessmen who fail to repay their loans but blatantly exploits the poor who reel under inflation for past four years,” added Nirupam.
“It is a myth that fuel price hike affects the rich or the upper middle class alone. High fuel prices have an inflationary effect across the system. It increases transport charges and costs and this hurts the poorer people when prices of basic commodities and vegetables are impacted,” said Dalal.
Hence, the entire economy suffers while the government has been levying a series of unreasonable charges of fuel. This is highly unacceptable, she added.
Saturday’s protest was the second “Tweet Morcha” after the first one held last year against the unfair charges levied by banks on customers.
Following the Twitter protest, the RBI was forced to take action against the unfair trade practices of banks within 72 hours.
–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.