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Rumours grow of rift between Saudi King, Crown Prince

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New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was in India recently and is known to share good ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is rumoured to be on a collision course with his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The development holds the prospect of derailing some of the reforms initiated by the ambitious Crown Prince, referred to as “MBS”.

It is not known what has triggered the reported clash. Mohammed bin Salman has been under intense scrutiny since the killing on October 2 last year of Jamal Khashoggi, a plain spoken acolyte-turned-dissident of the MBS regime who worked for the Washington Post.

Khashoggi’s body was never found and the reclusive kingdom, out of which news of the rulers comes only in driblets, has been on a long damage limitation exercise. It is said that King Salman’s intervention in the matter has restored a semblance of order in the matter.

India would be watching the developments with interest and some unease. When the Saudi Crown Prince was in India in February, the joint statement said terrorism and extremism was a common threat to both the nations. The Saudis, for their part said they would cooperate with India on every aspect, including intelligence sharing.

It is believed that the invitation extended to India to address the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Abu Dhabi recently showed the success of Modi’s diplomatic outreach in finding support within the Arab world for India’s battle against Pakistan-based terror.

Indeed, this has been a complex manoeuvre for the Modi government and started soon after it came to power in 2014. Because of the high stakes involved, India has been guarded in flaunting this relationship.

Anything that upsets this delicately nurtured relationship could not work in India’s favour.

Soon after returning from India, MBS signed a decree as “Deputy King”. Matters are believed to have reached a flashpoint when the King on a visit to Egypt was reportedly alerted about dangers to him and changed his entire security detail and refused Egyptian security.

The first rumours of a difference of opinion between King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and MBS took place against the backdrop of the spectacular palace putsch where powerful princes were incarcerated at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton in a brazen buy-your-freedom crackdown.

However, not much happened then because MBS was consolidating his power base at the time, was seen as a reformer and had been given a free hand by his father.

There are uncomfortable memories attached to the Saud family. In 1975, King Faisal was killed by his half brother’s son.

–IANS
am/soni/

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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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