National
Indian envoy walks out after spotting Mallya at London book launch
London/New Delhi:Beleaguered industrialist Vijay Mallya, wanted in a money laundering case and declared a proclaimed offender, was spotted at a book launch event in London that was also attended by Indian High Commissioner Navtej Sarna, sparking a row back home. But the government on Saturday clarified that the envoy left the event immediately after seeing the fugitive liquor baron among the audience.
The government washed its hands off the event at the London School of Economics on Thursday and said the function to release the book, “Mantras for Success: India’s Greatest CEOs Tell You How to Win” by author Suhel Seth and journalist Sunny Sen, was not hosted by the Indian High Commission.
“The list of invitations for the event was determined by LSE. They have written to the High Commissioner that Mallya was not on their list,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement in New Delhi.
The statement said the LSE had widely advertised the event through social media and its attendees were not required to register in advance.
Sarna was invited to participate in the discussion about the book.
“When the high commissioner (Sarna) spotted Mallya in the audience he left the stage and venue immediately after making his comments and without waiting for the interactive session,” the statement said.
It said that there were two events on the day — the book launch by UK Minister of State for Universities and Science Jo Johnson and later a reception at the High Commission for select guests. The book launch event was organised by the 100 Foot Journey Club — a collaboration between the Indian High Commission and LSE.
“Mallya was certainly not an invitee to the reception at the High Commission…and was not present,” the statement said.
Seth, one of the authors of the book, in a series of tweets insisted that that it was an “open event”. “No specific invitations (were given). Anyone could attend,” Seth said, denying that Mallya was among those invited.
But the presence of Mallya at the book launch sparked off political controversy amid frenzied social media reactions.
The Congress slammed the government for allegedly soft-peddling the probe against Mallya who fled India with more than Rs 9,000 crore of outstanding dues to 18 Indian banks. A non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against the business tycoon known for his flamboyant lifestyle.
“They (the government) are not serious about getting him (Mallya) back. The Indian High Commissioner in England understands and therefore he did not see any problem in attending the same event,” Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters in Delhi.
“If the government is serious in getting him”, Tewari said, let it make public the list of the persons “who travelled in his private plane in the last five years”.
Reacting to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s remarks that it was not easy to extradite Mallya from the UK, the Congress leader said: “Jaitley is ostensibly doing what he has been asked to do. They try and walk a tight rope and possibly try to subterfuge the action and hide lot of inaction.’
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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