National
Gujarat bribery row: Congress seeks court-monitored probe (Lead)
New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) The Congress on Monday demanded a court-monitored probe into allegations levelled by a Patidar leader from north Gujarat that he was offered Rs 1 crore to join the Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Gujarat.
Narendra Patel of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) led by Hardik Patel, claimed on Sunday that the BJP, the ruling party in Gujarat, had attempted to buy his political loyalty for Rs 1 crore and even paid Rs 10 lakh in advance.
The bribery allegations were “very serious” and Narendra Patel had accused Gujarat BJP President Jitubhai Vaghani as being the culprit, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.
“It calls for a reaction from Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and BJP President (Amit Shah). It calls for registration of an FIR against the Gujarat BJP leaders. It calls for investigation under the supervision of a Gujarat High Court Judge. If this is not checked, the sanctity of the Gujarat election process will be questioned in times to come,” Tewari said.
The Congress leader said it was incumbent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate the allegations as these were being levelled against his own party’s leaders.
The former Union Minister also claimed that it was the third case in the last 24 hours and is indicative of the “ignorance, arrogance, and frustration” within the BJP.
Tewari also accused the BJP of trying to “break” the people-led movements opposed to the BJP rule in Gujarat.
“Why is the BJP trying to coerce, lure, bribe leaders of this movement and trying to break it? Isn’t it a clear sign of their frustration? Isn’t it a clear manifestation of their demoralisation?” he asked.
Tewari said Patel leader Nikhil Sawani quit the BJP within days of joining it.
He said “allegations of bribery” were also levelled by Congress MLAs during the Rajya Sabha elections earlier this year.
“The Congress MLAs in Gujarat were coerced, and attempts to bribe them were made. Every instrumentality of the state and central governments was misused by the BJP-led Union government. The Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, and God knows which other agency was tasked to raid a resort where the MLAs were staying in order to protect themselves.”
Tewari said truth however prevailed in the end and the BJP lost the Rajya Sabha polls.
The Congress leader also criticised Modi for saying in Gujarat on Sunday that the Centre would not give a single rupee to any state opposed to ‘vikas’ or development.
“The Prime Minister has insulted 6.5 crore Gujaratis by hinting that he will give money only to those states which vote for Modi’s development.
“But the public money is not anyone’s private property and such threats constitute an assault on the Centre-State relations and federalism,” the Congress leader said.
He said: “Modi has unleashed the most direct attack on federalism by threatening the Gujarat people if they don’t vote for the BJP.”
Asked on the Election Commission clarification on the Gujarat polls, Tewari said: “What they have articulated is not rocket science.”
“The fundamental question is — why has the Election Commission digressed from time-honoured convention that elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are held simultaneously?
“Why have election dates in Gujarat not been declared? Why has the Model Code of Conduct not been enforced?” he asked.
“They (BJP) are trying their best to delay Gujarat elections as much as possible so that the Prime Minister can dole out as many sops as possible in that short time,” he added.
–IANS
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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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