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Congress condemns vandalising of statues, slams BJP
New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Terming the BJP intolerant, Congress party on Wednesday condemned the pulling down and vandalising of statues in different parts of the country including that of Periyar, considered the father figure of the rationalist movement in Tamil Nadu.
It also said damaging Periyar’s statue was an insult to the poor of the country.
The party slammed the BJP and said “in the name of Hindutva, they (BJP) want to promote Sanatan Dharm and Manuvaad in the country”.
“Pulling down and vandalising of Periyar’s statue is a big insult to not just the people of Tamil Nadu but to the entire country and those who follow his ideology. In a democracy, there are people from all ideologies but there is no tolerance among BJP people.
“They are becoming intolerant. Periyar fought for social justice. If anyone was responsible for giving political power to Dalits, backward class, and people belonging to the poorer sections, then it was Periyar,” said senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.
He said that damaging Periyar’s statue was an insult to the poor of the country and primarily the women, because Periyar believed in social justice.
“People with vested interest and those who in the name of religion insult such rationalist leaders. People will not be quiet. After this governmemt came to power, such incidents are taking place everywhere and they are getting encouragement,” he added.
Kharge further said: “We can never tolerate this. For imposing their ideology on others, indulging in violence is not right.”
He also condemned the vandalising of statues of B.R. Ambedkar and Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
“Be it any statue, be it from any ideology, there should be tolerance in democracy. One should convince people by keeping their ideology in front of people. I condemn such hooliganism in any part of the country.”
Slamming BJP National Secretary H. Raja, he said: “Tamil Nadu BJP secretary is giving official statement that this statue can’t remain here, this ideology can’t be followed. Openly giving a challenge like this is even more condemnable.”
“Action should be taken against people who have damaged statues everywhere. One should not take law into their hands and do anything by scaring people because they think the central government is with them,” he added.
Two persons — one of them R. Muthuraman, a BJP member — were arrested in Thirupattur in Vellore for vandalising the statue of Periyar.
–IANS
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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.