National
‘Arrogant’ Modi government has cast dark shadow on Parliamentary democracy: Sonia (Lead)
New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delaying the Winter Session of Parliament on “flimsy grounds”, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said the government in its “arrogance” has cast a dark shadow on the country’s Parliamentary democracy.
Asserting that the government wanted to avoid questions and answers ahead of the Gujarat elections, she warned the NDA regime that it cannot escape constitutional accountability by “locking the temple of democracy”.
Gandhi also said the Prime Minister had the “audacity to hold a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill-prepared and flawed GST but he lacks the courage to face Parliament”.
Addressing the Congress Working Committee, which met here to finalise the schedule for the election of the next Congress chief, Gandhi said that despite Modi’s failure to adhere to the promises made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he continues making “false promises”.
“The Modi government in its arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India’s Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. The government is mistaken if it thinks that by locking the temple of democracy, it will escape constitutional accountability ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat,” Gandhi said in her opening remarks.
She said that Parliament is the forum in which questions should be asked – questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving Ministers and dubious defence deals.
“Government will be obliged to answer these questions, but in order to avoid the questions and answers ahead of Gujarat elections, the government has taken the extraordinary step of not holding a Winter Session when it should be held,” she said.
Training her guns on the Prime Minister over his poll promises and claims on the economic front, Gandhi accused the government of “building the fortunes of a handful while destroying the future of the poor”.
“Unemployment, rising inflation, falling exports and GST are causing tremendous suffering to millions of people. A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers. The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed,” she said.
“Yet the Prime Minister continues with greater vigour, to make announcements, false promises, and to quote facts and figures that have nothing to do with the reality on the ground,” she added.
The Congress President accused the Modi government of forcefully trying to change the history of modern India by systematically erasing the contributions made by first Prime Minister of country Jawaharlal Nehru and later by Indira Gandhi.
“Be it through rewriting school text books and through malicious misinformation and propaganda or ignoring with disdain the importance of the birth centenary of Indiraji, this government is forcefully trying to change the history of modern India. This vilification is blatant and for all to see,” she said.
On the 18-month long election process of the Congress organisation, which will pave the way for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as President, she said the entire process reaffirms the party’s roots.
“The election process that has concluded in all but six states has elected block presidents, an equal number of delegates, primary units and party members. This has provided an opportunity for the party to interact with lakhs of workers across the country, starting from the booth level.
“This reaffirms that the party’s roots are spread across every district of the country and that no other political party can match the plurality and diversity of the Congress party,” she said in an apparent attack on BJP chief Amit Shah, who has been claiming that BJP has become the world’s largest party and would render India “Congress-free”.
She congratulated Rahul Gandhi and his team for their efforts on the Gujarat Assembly election front and asked them to do their best.
“Let us do our best to prove that people are not fooled and that they will make the right decision and defeat the present dispensation there,” she said.
Gandhi also thanked Central Election Authority (CEA) chairman Mullapalli Ramachandran and its members for successfully carrying out the party’s electoral process, which has now come to its culmination.
“On behalf of the party, I thank the Chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, members of the Central Election Authority and other party workers for carrying out this huge exercise with utmost diligence, integrity and impartiality,” said Gandhi.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.