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Rahul mocks Modi for garlanding Basavanna in London
Bengaluru, April 26 (IANS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his garlanding of Karnataka’s 12th century social reformer Basavanna’s bust in London recently and accused him of not practising the saint poet’s preachings.
“Modi has garlanded the bust of Basavanna, but does not follow his words or practise the reformer’s preaching to ‘Walk the Talk’,” said Gandhi at a public meeting at Honnavar in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district, about 450 km from here.
During his three-day visit to London from April 18 to 20, Modi garlanded Basavanna’s bust located at Albert Embankment Gardens on the banks of Thames River in the British capital on April 18.
Later, during an interaction — Bharat ki Baat, Sabke Saath — with the Indian Diaspora at the Westminster Hall in London, Modi mentioned Basavanna’s “vachanas” (sermons) and how they are so relevant even in the 21st century.
Criticising Modi for calling the Siddaramaiah government in the state “a 10 per cent commission sarkar”, Gandhi questioned the Prime Minister’s right to speak on corruption, sitting next to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s chief ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa, who “went to jail on corruption charges”.
As the party’s first Chief Minister in south India, Yeddyurappa resigned on July 31, 2011 after the state’s anti-graft watchdog (Lokayukta) named him in a probe report on the multi-crore mining scam that rocked the state for over a decade from 2001-10.
Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound southern state starting Thursday, launched the ruling party’s campaign for the May 12 legislative assembly elections in the coastal region.
He participated in road shows, held interactive sessions and addressed corner meetings in Ankola, Kumta, Honnavar and Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district.
At Kumta, Gandhi said Siddaramaiah had waived loans of thousands of farmers to provide them relief from distress and agrarian crisis due to successive droughts in the state, whereas the Modi government did nothing for them.
Gandhi will release the party’s election manifesto in the port city of Mangaluru on Friday, along with senior leaders like Karnataka in-charge K.C. Venugopal and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
–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.