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‘Maha-aartis’ in Maharashtra as Thackeray, family visit Ayodhya (Lead)
Mumbai, Nov 24 (IANS) Coinciding with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray’s high-profile visit to Ayodhya on Saturday, party activists and leaders performed ‘maha-aartis’ in different parts of the state and prayed for the success of the Ram temple construction mission.
A ‘maha-aarti’ was held at the famed Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Mumbai this evening, besides other parts of the city, in Thane, Ragnagiri, Raigad, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, and Kolhapur, led by party leaders, legislators, ministers and parliamentarians.
Mumbai’s dabbawallas also participated in the ‘maha-aarti’ performed at the Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Dadar, said their spokesperson Subhash Talekar.
Thundering in Ayodhya, Thackeray demanded that the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party should declare the “date” when the Ram Temple will be constructed in Ayodhya.
“The Hindus of the country will not remain silent any longer — they will ask questions ‘tell us the date when you will construct the Ram temple’. I have come to take the exact date from you,” he said, firing a fresh salvo at the BJP.
He reiterated the party’s recent slogan ‘Har Hindu ki yehi pukar, Pehle mandir phir sarkar’ and said he had come for his first darshan of Ram Lalla, and promised to come again in future.
“I have not come here to grab the credit for the Ram temple, but awaken the slumbering Kumbhkarnaa who slept for six months, this one (indicating the BJP-led government) has been sleeping for four years. The promises made must be fulfilled, that’s the real Hindutva for us”, Thackeray said.
Meanwhile, commenting on Thackeray’s visit, Maharashtra BJP’s Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar welcomed it saying there is “nothing wrong if he has gone there for a good cause like the Ram temple”.
However, the Raj Thackeray-led opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, mocked at his cousin’s Ayodhya visit by putting up posters near the Sena headquarters, saying: “Gone to Ayodhya, but resignation still in pocket”.
This implied the MNS’ oft-repeated stance that the Shiv Sena must dare to quit the NDA at the centre and state instead of functioning like an embedded opposition party.
For the Ayodhya visit, Thackeray is carrying an urn containing the earth from the Shivneri Fort – the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Pune district of Maharashtra.
Over 4,000 Shiv Sainiks from Maharashtra and other parts of the country have already proceeded to Ayodhya, a party spokesperson said.
Party leaders including Sanjay Raut, Minister Eknath Shinde, Rajan Vichare, Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and others have been camping in Ayodhya for the past few days to prepare for the Thackeray visit.
–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.