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In big boost, Jaswant’s son Manvendra joins Congress (Roundup)

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New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) In a big boost to the Congress ahead of Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Manvendra Singh, son of former Union Minister and one of the founders of the BJP, Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday.

Singh had a meeting with Congress President Rahul Gandhi in the morning and the announcement of his induction into the party was made at a press conference later by General Secretary Ashok Gehlot, a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and other leaders, including Rajasthan Pradesh Congress chief Sachin Pilot.

An MLA from Sheo in Barmer, he quit the Bharatiya Janata Party in September, upset over the sidelining of his father in the party ever since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in which he was not given a party ticket. Jaswant Singh, a Rajput leader, has faded away from public life after he went into a coma a few years ago.

With Singh’s induction the Congress is hoping to garner Rajput votes in the assembly elections.

At the press conference, it was also announced that former Maharashtra BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh, who represented Katol Assembly in the Vidarbha region, has joined the party. He had stepped down as an MLA earlier in the month over the Rafale jet deal.

Speaking to the media, Singh, a former Lok Sabha member, said he joined the Congress over the persistent targeting by the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP in Rajasthan. He said the problem began in 2014 when the BJP denied his father Jaswant Singh a party ticket in the Lok Sabha polls.

“We have been consistently targeted by Chief Minister Raje and the BJP. Joining the Congress was not a personal decision, rather a decision of the masses who want to teach the BJP government a lesson,” Singh told the media here.

Earlier in September, Singh at a public rally in Rajasthan had talked about his decision of quitting the BJP saying “Kamal ka phool, badi bhool,” or the BJP’s election symbol lotus to be a “big mistake”.

Gehlot said: “A man (Jaswant Singh) who had been the country’s Finance Minister, Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister, who was Prime Ministerial material, has been targeted systematically by the BJP in pursuance of a conspiracy.

“We all know how the BJP treats its veteran leaders. There are many in the BJP who are being targeted and are willing to join the Congress,” said Gehlot.

Announcing Singh’s induction into the Congress on the social media, Gandhi said it had bolstered the party’s strength.

Voting to elect the new assembly in Rajasthan would be held on December 7 and the counting of votes would take place on December 11.

Deshmukh, the son of former Maharashtra Congress Committee President and former cabinet minister Ranjit Deshmukh, said he joined the Congress to further the fight against the Modi government over the Rafale deal.

“The Rafale deal is clear-cut case of criminal misconduct and misuse of office of the Prime Minister. It is undermining the PMO for crony capitalism,” said Deshmukh.

–IANS
and/prs

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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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.

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