Top News
Two kinds of alliances to remove Modi government – total unity, possible unity: Sharad Yadav (Lead, Correcting Intro) (IANS Interview)
By Prashant Sood
New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) There will be two kinds of alliances — “total unity” and “possible unity” — across states to reach the opposition goal of removing the Narendra Modi government, said Loktrantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.
Yadav, 71, who has been instrumental in bringing various opposition parties on an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) platform, told IANS in an interview that the name of the Prime Minister of a coalition government has in the past emerged mostly after the Lok Sabha elections and it will also be the case in the coming polls.
Yadav, who is counted among the senior most opposition leaders, said it is a pan-India opposition alliance does not seem workable and there will be state specific agreements.
“There will be ‘sampurn ekta’ (total unity) and ‘sambhav ekta’ (possible unity). The effort is for total unity but if that is not possible, then there will be possible unity,” Yadav told IANS.
He admitted that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in several states due to competing claims of opposition parties.
Yadav, a former union minister who has won Lok Sabha elections from three states, described the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance in Uttar Pradesh as a “right step.”
“It is a step towards giving a strong challenge (to the BJP),” he said.
The SP and BSP have left Congress out of the alliance which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.
Yadav said that there was difficulty in achieving total unity in states such as West Bengal and Kerala but irrespective of the outcome in such scenarios, the opposition parties will come together to keep the BJP out.
He said there will not be any difficulty in achieving “total unity” among opposition parties in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Jharkhand.
Yadav, a seven-time member of Lok Sabha and four-time of the Rajya Sabha, said people have made up their minds to defeat the BJP in the coming elections.
“The first priority is to defeat the BJP. Formation of government will be decided later,” he said.
Citing instances of coalition and other governments formed in 1977, 1990, 1996 and 2004, he said the prime ministerial candidate was not known.
He said once the BJP is defeated, choosing a candidate in the post poll scenario will not be difficult.
Asked about Prime Minister Modi’s assertion that the choice in the Lok Sabha polls was between a “majboot sarkar” (strong government) and “majboor sarkar” (weak government), he said such slogans were meaningless.
“People were the ultimate sovereign authority.”
Yadav said there was no use of a government which calls itself strong but “does not work in the parameters of the Constitution”.
Yadav accused the Modi government of creating divisions among the people, causing communal polarisation and failing to deliver on its promises to various sections of people.
A founding member of the Janata Dal-United, Yadav has also been a convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The JD-U ended its alliance with the BJP in 2013 after 17 years.
However, when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in 2017, Yadav parted ways with him.
The Loktrantrik Janata Dal is part of the Grand Alliance in Bihar.
(Prashant Sood can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
ps/vsc/ksk/nir
Top News
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.