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Goa’s MGP petitions High Court, says Parrikar, two other BJP MLAs terminally ill
Panaji, Nov 20 (IANS) The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, a part of the BJP-led ruling alliance in Goa, has filed a petition before the High Court saying that three BJP legislators including Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar were terminally ill and in no position to attend the assembly session if convened for a floor test.
The petition, which was filed before the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday and released to the media on Tuesday, also alleges that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had triggered defections from the Congress to ensure that it could not claim a majority and a right to form the government.
The petition, filed by Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Satyawan Palkar, also requested the court to set aside Goa Speaker Pramod Sawant’s order accepting the resignations of two former Congress MLAs (who subsequently joined the BJP) and also debar them from contesting any elections for six years.
“After the government formation, CM Manohar Parrikar has remained terminally ill and was hospitalised, either abroad, or in New Delhi as well as in Goa Medical College. Two other (former) Ministers namely, Francisco D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar, have also remained terminally ill and hospitalised for almost a year,” says the petition in which the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer, Goa, Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Secretary Legislature and former Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte have been named as respondents.
“Another MLA Jose Luis Carlos Almeida, representing Vasco-da-Gama Constituency from Bharatiya Janata Party, also continues to be ill. With the sickness of the aforesaid elected representatives, the political situation in Goa continues to be fluid,” the petition stated.
MGP leader Palkar, through his petition, said that none of the MLAs battling illness can attend the assembly proceedings, even if convened.
The ruling combine does not want power to be transferred to the Congress at any cost. They have taken such steps, whereby the Congress cannot claim majority and a right to form the government in the state.
The ruling BJP wants to either increase its number of seats in the assembly or go in for fresh elections, the petition said.
Parrikar is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and Delhi for nearly nine months. He returned from New Delhi’s All-India Institute of Medical Sciences on October 14 and has not moved out of his private residence, for any official event since.
The BJP and the Congress currently have 14 MLAs each in the 38-member state assembly, while the MGP and Goa Forward (both ruling allies) have three MLAs each.
The state assembly also has three independent MLAs and one MLA from the Nationalist Congress Party, all of whom support the treasury benches.
–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.