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Alphons joins Modi ministry, BJP veterans in Kerala left out

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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on Sunday to induct former bureaucrat K.J. Alphons into his council of ministers has left the BJP’s long-standing leaders out in the cold.

Not surprisingly, the state head office of the Bharatiya Janata Party here looked deserted on Sunday when Alphons took oath even though Kerala was getting its first representation in the three-year-old Modi government.

But there was celebration in Alphons’ hometown Manimala in Kottayam district.

Alphons becomes the second BJP leader from Kerala to get a berth in the union cabinet after O. Rajagopal, who was a Minister of State in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government (1999-2004).

Rajagopal was elected to the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 1992 from Madhya Pradesh. Now, those in the know of things say Alphons too will be elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Alphons is only six years old in the BJP, which he joined in 2011. He was earlier aligned with the Left Democratic Front in Kerala.

Alphons, though not a frontline leader in the Kerala BJP, is popular in Delhi where he came to be known as the ‘demolition man’ for knocking down 14,310 illegal buildings when he worked as a Commissioner in the Delhi Development Authority.

At that time, he stood his ground even after his wife and children came under attack.

Ever since news surfaced that there would be a reshuffle and expansion of the Modi ministry, the names that figured prominently as probables from Kerala were actor-turned-Rajya Sabha member Suresh Gopi, state BJP President Kummanem Rajasekheran and former state BJP President V. Muraleedharan.

No one even in the party circles or the media took Alphons’ name.

One reason why Modi and BJP President Amit Shah may have opted for Alphons is to warn the warring BJP leadership in the state that they needed to get their act together to take on the entrenched Left and the Congress.

But the state BJP leadership put up a brave face on Sunday.

Kummanem Rajasekheran said in a statement: “Alphons joined the BJP fed up with the corrupt ways of the Left and the Congress. This is an Onam gift for Kerala and an appreciation for his various positions he has taken.”

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said he does not think any single leader in the Kerala BJP was happy about Alphons becoming a minister.

There are some who think that Alphons has been made a minister to appease the numerically strong Christian community in Kerala.

In June, Amit Shah met leading Church heads in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to say that a healthy relationship with the Christian community was essential for the party to make further inroads in Kerala.

–IANS
sg/mr/vd

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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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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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