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Odisha government has insulted Lord Jagannath: Congress
Bhubaneswar, Dec 22 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday accused the Odisha government of insulting Lord Jagannath by linking a scheme to his name.
The state cabinet on Friday approved a scheme for farmers named KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation), which is another name of Lord Jagannath.
“The KALIA acronym was made to connect with the highest religious symbol of India, not only Odisha. This is totally insulting to somebody, who all of us revere. You drag Lord Jagannath into this kind of cheap politics,” said Singhvi.
“Is it not a shame that you try to use the religious symbol for votes?” he asked.
He said the ‘jumlewasi’ disease of the Prime Minister seems to have infected Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“In the KALIA scheme, there is no Hindi word except Krushak. All other letters are English in the acronym,” the Congress leader said.
He said the Chief Minister, who was in deep slumber for 18 and a half years, suddenly woke up and announced a scheme for farmers to please them ahead of the elections.
Singhvi also accused the state government of insulting the Odisha people by staging a walkout during the no-confidence motion against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Parliament in July.
While leaders across parties in the Odisha Assembly sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek a hike in Minimum Support Price (MSP) on paddy, the Prime Minister did not give time to them, which was an insult to Odisha, said the Congress leader.
“But, the Chief Minister gave a reward to the Prime Minister by staging a walkout in the Parliament during the no-confidence motion, which in turn helped the government at the Centre,” he added.
He also accused the BJP government of manipulating and misguiding people and the Supreme Court on the Rafale issue.
Singhvi said the government misinformed the court that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had submitted a report and it was also vetted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Describing the Rafale deal as the biggest scam in India, he demanded a JPC probe into the purchase of 36 defence aircraft from France-based Dassault Aviation.
“Our eloquent Prime Minister is surprisingly silent on it,” said Singhvi.
He also attacked the government for coming out with a notification allowing 10 agencies to monitor, intercept and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.
Singhvi said the move was a direct attack on the fundamental rights of the citizens and their right to privacy.
–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.