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Alpesh Thakor dispels speculations, says with the Congress only
Ahmedabad, March 9 (IANS) Congress’ maverick OBC lawmaker Alpesh Thakor, who had been keeping the party on tenterhooks amid speculation that he was headed for the ruling BJP, cleared the air on Saturday saying that his concerns had been settled for now.
Thakor’s announcement came as a respite for the Congress, which faced the twin shocks of two of its MLAs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in a day on Friday, with one of them being rewarded by a cabinet berth in the Vijay Rupani government within 24 hours.
For nearly a fortnight, Thakor who had joined the Congress in the run up to the 2017 assembly elections, had been giving sleepless nights to the Congress leadership after his meetings with Chief Minister Rupani and Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani.
Addressing a press conference here, Thakor admitted that he was hankering for a minister’s post but decided against it later after meeting the Congress leadership. He met senior party leader Ahmed Patel in New Delhi on Friday to discuss his concerns. Former Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia was also present at the meeting.
“At one point of time, I did aspire to become a minister to be able to serve the community better but have now decided to take the path of struggle,” Thakor said.
“If I had to go to the BJP, I would have gone at least six months ago.”
Thakor also admitted he was unhappy with the way of functioning of some Congress leaders in the state, but this was now a matter of the past.
The Radhanpur MLA set to rest speculations that he wanted a Congress ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections and scoffed at questions that he was trying to accommodate his wife in his place while he becomes an MP.
“My wife will never enter politics,” Thakor said, adding that he would continue to fight for the rights of poor, unemployed, farmers, Dalits and Adivasis.
–IANS
desai/vd
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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.