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N D Tiwari – a political marathoner who courted controversies (Obit)
New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS) A seasoned politician belonging to the pre-independence era, Narayan Dutt Tiwari was a political marathoner whose later life was mired in controversies that Indias public life had not seen before.
The only politician who was chief minister of two states – Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand – Tiwari spent most of his political life in Congress and served the party in various capacities.
In a rare coincidence, he passed away on the day he was born in 1925.
In his long political life spanning nearly six decades, Tiwari served as an MLA, state minister, chief minister, union minister, member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and a Governor.
He was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh three times for short terms and served as a minister under former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
Tiwari became chief minister of Uttarakhand in 2002 after pipping Harish Rawat to the post and is the only chief minister in the state to complete a five-year term.
His long career came to an ignominious end when he was forced to resign as Governor of Andhra Pradesh in 2009 after allegations of his involvement in a sex romp in Raj Bhavan unearthed by a sting operation.
Tiwari was also in news after lawyer Rohit Shekhar filed a paternity suit in 2008 claiming the senior politician was his biological father.
The Delhi High Court declared in 2014 that Shekhar was Tiwari’s biological son.
Tiwari had earlier denied Shekhar’s claims and said the charges were part of a political conspiracy hatched against him by his opponents. But later he publicly accepted that Shekhar was a biological son born to Ujjawala whom he married later. The court, while passing the order, had taken note of the report of Tiwari’s DNA test and his public acceptance. Tiwari married Ujjawala when he was 88.
Considered a prime ministerial candidate in 1991 following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, Tiwari along with Arjun Singh formed the All India Indira Congress (Tiwari) in 1995 following differences with the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. The party later merged with the Indian National Congress after Sonia Gandhi became its chief.
Born in Nainital, Tiwari entered Uttar Pradesh assembly for the first time in 1952. He was Indian Youth Congress President for four years from 1965. Over the next few years he held various ministerial portfolios in Uttar Pradesh before serving as chief minister 1976-77.
Tiwari entered the Lok Sabha in 1980 but went back to the state in 1984 and served as chief minister till September 1985. He again became Chief Minister in January in 1988. He was the last Congress chief minister of the state.
Affable, approachable and articulate, Tiwari was an old generation Congress leader who believed in the warmth of personal ties. He had friends across the political spectrum.
Among the portfolios he held was of Minister of External Affairs in Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinet in 1986-87.
Feeling sidelined by the Congress, Tiwari gravitated towards the BJP while Rohit Shekhar joined the party ahead of Uttarakhand assembly elections last year.
Tiwari’s official bio-data says he participated in the ‘Quit India’ movement from 1942-44 and was jailed for 15 months.
–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.