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Sidhu defends wife, questions railways

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Chandigarh, Oct 22 (IANS) Under fire from various quarters, Punjab’s Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday continued to defend his wife and close aides in the Amritsar train tragedy in which 59 people watching Dusshera proceedings died last Saturday.

Sidhu raised questions about the railways giving a clean chit to the train driver and other staff.

“How can the railways give a clean chit to its driver and other staff without even conducting a probe? Why was the train hurtling down at such great speed? Why didn’t the gateman inform the train driver that hundreds of people were standing on the tracks and tell him to slow down?” Sidhu asked.

The cricketer-turned-politician is under fire from the families who lost their loved ones, local residents and political opponents since the event was organized by his close aides from the ruling Congress. His wife, Navjot Kaur, was the chief guest at the function.

Sidhu drew flak when he described the accident as a “natural disaster”.

His wife is being targeted as CCTV footage that has emerged indicates that she was present at the same venue when the accident took place and hurriedly left the place.

She had earlier claimed that she had left the place 15 minutes before the train passed killing at least 59 people. Sidhu on Monday defended her claims.

Railway authorities had said on Saturday that the railways bore no responsibility for the accident since it was not informed about the Dusshera event or about the presence of hundreds of people on the tracks. It has refused to order a probe into the accident.

The train driver, railway sources said, has told his superiors that he could not see the crowd standing on the tracks due to darkness in the area. He claimed that he tried to reduce the speed of the train when he realized at the last moment that people were standing on the tracks, but the train hit them by then.

The gateman at Joda Phatak said he was in no position to see people on the tracks in the darkness since the area was in mid-section of the tracks and about 400 metres from where he was manning the gate.

–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

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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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