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Italy asks Malta to allow migrant ship to dock, refugees to disembark
Rome, June 22 (IANS/AKI) Italy on Friday asked Malta to allow the German NGO-run migrant-rescue ship Lifeline to dock at one of its ports and let the over 200 migrants on board disembark but detain the crew.
“It’s an illegal ship with an illegal flag.
“We would like to know who is financing this ship which is carrying a human cargo and is located in Maltese waters,” anti-migrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said at a political rally in the central Italian city of Siena.
“To ensure the safety of those on board, we ask Malta to open one of its ports, allow these desperate people to disembark, seize the ship and detain its crew so it cannot ever ply the waters of the Mediterranean again.”
The Italian port authority also formally requested Malta to allow the German NGO-run migrant-rescue ship Lifeline with over 200 migrants on board to dock at one of its ports, AKI learned from government sources.
The Italian government claims the German NGO acted illegally by picking up the 224 migrants including four children on Thursday off the Libyan coast instead of allowing Libyan Coastguard to rescue them.
The government also alleges that Lifeline and another ship operated by the NGO are “illegally” flying the Dutch flag after the Dutch representation to the European Union said on Thursday that the ships did not appear in the Dutch naval registers.
Mission Lifeline denies this claim and on Thursday posted the Lifeline’s Dutch registration document to its Twitter account as proof.
The charity’s co-founder, Axel Steier, denied breaking any laws and defended his organisation’s actions in rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.
Salvini has repeatedly accused NGOs of being complicit with human smugglers operating in Libya and Thursday vowed on Facebook that “foreign NGO boats will never touch Italian soil again”.
His Friday comments appeared to contradict a statement on Thursday by Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli that Italy would transfer the rescued migrants from the Lifeline to Italian boats and would “seize the ship”.
Earlier this month, Salvini refused to open Italy’s ports to the NGO Sos Mediterranee’s ship Aquarius with some 630 rescued migrants on board, leaving it stranded in the Mediterranean after Malta declined to help.
Amid a diplomatic standoff sparked by Italy’s hardline stance, the boat was eventually taken to the Spanish port of Valencia.
–IANS/AKI
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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.