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EC should address EVM concerns: Congress
New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) The Congress on Tuesday rejected the BJP’s charges of “sponsoring” Monday’s controversial hackathon in London on EVMs and said that opposition parties for the last two-and-half years have persistently been raising the issue of tampering of the electronic voting machines but the EC has refused to resolve it.
Addressing the media here, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma stood by the opposition’s collective demand for returning to the ballot paper voting system and said the EC should address all EVM concerns.
He also demanded that 50 per cent of the VVPATs should be verified in all constituencies.
Referring to a host of opposition parties, including the Congress, demanding the EC in August 2018 to return to paper ballots for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Sharma said his party continues to endorse the demand but citing time constraints, the EC must ensure verifying 50 per cent of VVPATs with the paper trails instead of the now 10 per cent.
“It was not a Congress sponsored press conference, but then the issues raised are legitimate something which all the opposition parties have been raising for the last two-and-half years,” said Sharma in response to Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad allegations that the claims made by US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were rigged and the EVMs can be hacked, were “Congress sponsored”.
Sharma, however, parried queries about the presence of Congress leader Kapil Sibal at the London event, saying it was for him to answer that.
On the issue of EVM tampering and hacking, Sharma said that most of western countries have gone back to using ballot papers, adding that the EC must look towards resolving the concerns raised regarding the EVMs.
“We had collectively given a memorandum to the EC but unfortunately our very legitimate concerns were not addressed. The Supreme Court also ruled out return to paper ballot. But our demand remains.
“At the same time since that demand may not be fulfilled in this elections, nevertheless, it is the constitutional responsibility of the EC to address the concerns of the entire opposition. We demand that that at least 50 per VVPATs should be verified with the paper trails in all parliamentary constituencies,” said the former union minister.
–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.