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Rahul provoking armed forces against government: Sitharaman

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New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday rejected Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ran parallel negotiation for the Rafale deal and accused him of provoking the armed forces against the government.

“Today I object to what Rahul has said — he was telling Air Force pilots and officers ‘look what Prime Minister is doing to you’. What does this mean, what is going on in his mind? Does he want to provoke them? Does he want to make them stand up against the government? Is it a responsible job of the Opposition? It is very dangerous,” she told media outside Parliament.

“Congress has become a toy in the dirty game of multinational corporates. Their language is not in the interest of the country,” she alleged.

Sitharaman said that she was “very shocked” to see this attitude.

“Rahul Gandhi, in his press conference today, called the PM a thief and me a liar. I had also said earlier that as we have not come from a known family, so they try to tarnish our image.”

Her remarks came soon after Gandhi, earlier in the day, addressed a press conference and accused Prime Minister of being directly involved in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France by running parallel negotiation in 2015.

Lashing out at an English newspaper for carrying out a “one-sided” story, the Defence Minister said, “One newspaper has printed a file noting, which is written by (former) Defence Secretary. In the same note he is saying Defence Minister should make a statement.

“The then Defence Minister (Manohar Parrikar) has seen that noting and also signed it. What was the response of then Defence Minister Parrikar? I said the same thing in Parliament.”

Slamming the media house, she said, “If the news report carried one noting, then it should have also carried the response of the then Defence Minister in its news report. That is ethical journalism.”

Quoting the then Defence Minister’s reply to that file noting, Sitharaman said, “Your note is right, but there is no need to get excited so much. Everything is alright. This was Parrikar’s reply, which is there in the files of the Defence Secretary.”

“I am sorry there was selective noting and building an issue falsely on it,” she said, adding that the response of the then Defence Minister was very clear.

She also asserted that on the direction of the same Defence Secretary and the Member of the Negotiating Committee with their signatures, the file went to the Cabinet Committee on Security and Cabinet. “Only after that clearance was given and then an agreement signed,” she said.

Defending the Prime Minister and the PMO, Sitharaman said, “If the PMO asks for the progress in a matter, can it be considered interference or parallel negotiation?”

Referring to Sonia Gandhi, who held the post of the Chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC) during the UPA governments, she said, “Was Soniaji interfering in the working of every ministry or running a parallel cabinet or snatching the rights of any minister?

“Highlighting a selective part is not good. I have a lot of expectations from Congress,” she added.

–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

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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.

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