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TDP MPs sit on dharna inside Speaker’s chamber, forcibly removed
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) At least 15 MPs belonging to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Friday sat on a dharna inside Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s chamber to protest against her decision to not admit their no-trust motion against the government, and were forcibly removed in the evening.
This came a day after the TDP MPs staged a similar sit-in inside Rajya Sabha.
The MPs entered the Speaker’s chamber soon after the lower House was adjourned sine die in the morning and stayed put there till the marshals removed them around 6.15 p.m. The security earlier put off the airconditioner and the lights but the protesters still stayed inside the chamber.
One of the MPs, Murali Mohan, fell ill when the marshals were removing the protesting parliamentarians and had to be taken to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in an ambulance.
The TDP members had been noisily protesting in both Houses of Parliament holding placards etc, demanding special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Around mid-March, having quit the NDA, they gave no-confidence motion against the government but it was not admitted by the Speaker.
“We had been protesting for last 13 day for no-confidence motion. But today, the last day of this session, when the House was adjourned sine die, we entered into Speaker’s chamber to find out as to why she could not conduct the business and why she could not make government responsible for the lapses. She had no answer and left her office. We sat there as gherao to protest,” the party’s Amalapuram MP Ravindra Babu told IANS.
“Now they have thrown us out with the help of marshals. This is the fate of democracy, this is the fate of Andhra Pradesh and its five crore people. I can tell you one thing, BJP has no faith in democratic principles. I think they are headed for a disaster in 2019,” he added.
On being pointed out that the TDP was very much a coalition partner in the BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the last four years, why it did not bring up the special status issue with the central government, Babu said they had been expecting the government to fulfil their demand.
“We had been patiently waiting and they (Centre) kept giving small-small instalments with the hope that this year we would get what is legitimate due to Andhra Pradesh. But in the Budget, they showed empty hands. Then we decided it was high time we leave this government. It is highly irresponsible, highly violative of coalition partners,” he said.
Asked if TDP would follow in the footsteps of YSR Congress members who have resigned from the Lok Sabha, Babu said quitting Parliament was no solution.
“Resigning from Parliament does not mean anything. As an MP you can come and make your presence felt in the House. After resignation, what are you going to do. Parliament is the place where you can achieve your goals. When you abdicate your responsibility and run away by resigning, this does not mean anything to the people. They (YSR members) are cheating the people who have elected them,” he said.
–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.