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Shah’s Goa meeting a ‘flop show’: Congress
Panaji, Feb 11 (IANS) Failure of BJP-led governments, both at the Centre and in Goa, to provide concrete assurances vis-a-vis resumption of mining activity in the coastal state, led to the “flop show” at the party workers’ meeting addressed by BJP President Amit Shah on February 9 near Panaji, Goa Congress spokesperson Urfan Mulla said on Monday.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had said that 30,000 booth workers would be attending the meeting, but in reality only 10,000 people were in attendance. One of the main reasons why there was a low turnout was the inability of Shah and the BJP to resolve the mining issue or at least give concrete assurances to the people. The meeting was a ‘flop show’,” Mulla told reporters.
Shah’s meeting on Saturday came at a time when the BJP state leadership is under pressure to resume mining in Goa, which was banned by the Supreme Court in February last year, due to irregularities in the renewal of leases by the state government.
The Goa Mining People’s Front, which claims to represent people dependent on the mining industry in the state, has already announced that if mining is not restarted before the Lok Sabha polls, it would work against the BJP in the general elections, as well as in the by-polls to two Assembly seats, which are likely to be held soon.
The Front’s President Puti Gaonkar has already said that mining dependents were “not happy” with the outcome of last week’s meeting with Prime Minister over resumption of work in Goa, in which Narendra Modi had assured Gaonkar as well as BJP lawmakers of “looking into the matter”.
Shah, during his address in Goa at the party workers’ meeting, had also said that the Prime Minister was looking to resolve the mining deadlock, which has put several thousand mining employees as well as workers from the tertiary sectors out of employment and business.
“Goa’s mining dependents expected a more concrete assurance both from the Prime Minister as well as Shah. The lack of an audience at Shah’s meeting only indicates that the popular mood is not with the BJP ahead of elections,” Mulla said.
According to state BJP President Vinay Tendulkar, the meeting convened by Shah on Saturday was a resounding success and that both the party’s leaders as well as cadre “were going full steam ahead in campaign mode for the Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls”.
–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.