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President’s Rule in Uttarakhand, CM blasts BJP
Dehradun/New Delhi:President’s Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday after days of political uncertainty triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress, prompting Chief Minister Harish Rawat to accuse the BJP-led central government of murdering democracy.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan source said President Pranab Mukherjee approved the union cabinet’s decision to dismiss the Rawat-led Congress government. The cabinet met Saturday night with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair and recommended central rule in the hill state.
The president signed the proclamation, which also recommended placing the state assembly in suspended animation, the source said. This is Uttarakhand’s first experience with President’s Rule since it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Governor K.K. Paul, the chief minister did not spare the central government and Prime Minister Modi too.
Modi had the “blood of the aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand on his hands”, he said, alleging that the BJP-led central government slashed the budget for his state and even cut funds for the restoration of the Kedarnath temple, devastated by the 2013 flash floods, and the Kumbh Mela.
He hinted that the Congress may move court against the decision to impose President’s Rule.
“We will take support to all legal options. This will be decided by our advocates. I was heading a very delicate majority. If Congress comes back to power, we will increase the Vidhan Sabha seats from 70 to 90.”
The central government justified the Uttarakhand decision, saying the state was “a textbook case for enforcing President’s Rule” on grounds of “breakdown of governance”.
“I believe there cannot be a better example (for implementing President’s Rule),” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in New Delhi. “For the last nine days, the constitution was being violated in Uttarakhand.”
The crisis in the state began when nine Congress legislators, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, who Rawat replaced, revolted against the chief minister and turned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was happy to support them.
On March 18, things came to a head when the assembly passed the budget appropriation bill by voice vote even as more than half the members in the house sought a division, which would have led to recorded voting.
The rebel Congress lawmakers supported the BJP’s demand for a conscience vote. Speaker Govind Kunjwal declined the request.
Before the rebellion, the Congress had 36 members in the 70-member house and the BJP 31. With nine of its lawmakers aligning with the BJP, the Congress was left with 27 and six from smaller parties backing the Rawat government. The chief minister was asked to prove his majority on Monday but the central government decided to act a day earlier.
On Saturday, the 69-year-old chief minister was shown striking an alleged multi-crore rupees deal for bringing the rebels back into the party. The sting operation was aired by an Uttarakhand channel.
The Congress leader denied the allegation and accused the BJP of “buying” the Congress rebels to topple his government. He said his two former colleagues – Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat – had connived with the BJP.
The Congress said it was not surprised.
“The real desire of the government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner,” party general secretary Ambika Soni said.
“At every step, constitutional rules have been broken…it is so glaring for everyone to see.”
The Uttarakhand decision also came under fire from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said his party was not averse to forming the next government in Uttarakhand if given an opportunity.
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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.