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Sitharaman doing drama instead of answering questions: Rahul

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New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman evaded his questions on the controversial Rafale deal and “ran away” when asked a pointed question if the Air Force objected to the changes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made in “two minutes” to the defence acquisition deal negotiated over eight years.

Talking to reporters after a debate on the Rafale deal in Lok Sabha, the Congress President said Sitharaman, instead of answering his simple question in yes or no, started “doing drama” and then ran away. He said the intention of the BJP-led government was to mislead the youth of the nation.

“Instead of answering the question, she started doing drama — ‘Oh I was insulted. I was called a liar’. My simple question was that after such a long negotiation by the Air Force chief, Defence Minister, secretaries and Air Force officers, did those who did the whole negotiation object when (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi did the bypass surgery to the negotiated deal?” Gandhi said.

He added that Sitharaman, in her speech, made the admission that the Prime Minister did indeed conduct the “bypass surgery” and issued a new contract to buy 36 fighter aircraft from French aircraft manufacturer Dassault, as opposed to 136 such aircraft negotiated in the earlier deal.

“I asked when this bypass surgery happened, did the Air Force officials object to it? It was a simple question and she evaded the question and left without answering in affirmative of negative,” the Congress President said.

He said that in her two-and-half hour long speech, the Defence Minister did not answer any question.

“The crux (of her speech) was that the deal was negotiated by Air Force for over eight years and Modi changed that contract in two minutes,” Gandhi said.

“I just asked her — did they object? Yes or no? She just ran away,” he added.

Earlier, Sitharaman dismissed all allegations of corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal and hit back at the Congress saying while Bofors deal was a scam, the Rafale deal was in national interest which would bring Narendra Modi back as Prime Minister.

“Bofors was a scam, but Rafale was a decision taken in national interest. Rafale will bring back Modi to build a new India and remove corruption,” she said in a reply lasting over two-and-half hours in the Lok Sabha to a debate on the deal with French manufacturer Dassault.

The Minister said there was a difference between defence dealings and dealing in defence.

“We deal in defence with national security as a priority,” she said.

She said the first Rafale fighter jet will be delivered in September this year and the remaining 35 aircraft by 2022.

–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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