Padma Shri is for everyone who helped me during Covid crisis: Jitender Singh Shunty
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Nov, 2021 05:40 PM
New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) Jitender Singh Shunty, founder of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Seva Dal who cremated thousands of bodies during the Covid-19 pandemic and was conferred the Padma Shri, said on Monday that the award is not only for him but for everyone who supported him in continuing his work even during the crisis.
Talking to IANS, Shunty said: "I am inspired by Bhagat Singh, who at the age of 23, kissed the hangman's noose for the country."
A two-time councilor from Jhilmil ward and an MLA from Shahdara, Shunty has been running the foundation since 25 years which provides free ambulance services for the poor.
"We have been serving the people for the past 25 years. But during the Corona period when no one was touching anyone, we helped Covid-19 positive people. My driver and children also supported me in the endeavour. One of my drivers also lost his life.
"Since the onset of the pandemic early last year, we have cremated over 4,000 bodies. Our ambulances rushed 19,000 people to hospitals. We also immersed the ashes of over 14,000 people
"With the honour being conferred on me, our morale has got a boost. This award is not just for me but for everyone who supported me.
"When it was announced on January 26 that I was also a recipient of the Padma Shri, the second wave kicked in just a few months later during which we doubled our work than in the first wave," he claimed.
On being asked by the public about carrying on with his social work even after getting the fourth highest civilian award, Shunty said that "the award is nothing in front of my passion".
Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Pralhad Joshi, Anurag Thakur, Bhupender Yadav, V. Muraleedharan and Arjun Ram Meghwal held a joint press conference at the Shastri Bhavan here on Thursday and condemned the 'unruly' and 'violent' behaviour of the opposition parties led by the Congress.
Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states as well as where the party is in power as part of an alliance, including Tamil Nadu's M.K. Stalin (DMK), Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena) and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren (JMM) will also be invited.
Besides, the All India Congress Committee, the Maharashtra and Mumbai verified Congress handles, that of Congress Legislative Party leader and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, Mumbai Congress President Bhai Jagtap, state party social media head Abhijeet Sapkal, and around 500 other leaders at various level have been blocked on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the wreckage of the state roadways bus that fell into a 500 metre deep gorge following the massive landslide was recovered this morning, rescuers said.
Senior Home Ministry officials on Thursday reviewed the status of the investigations in the two rape cases in Delhi with officials of the Delhi Police. The review was done on the instructions of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the officials said.
All agencies such as the Crime Branch, Intelligence Bureau, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) unit, Harayana Police Commandos and Government Railway Police (GRP) have been placed on high alert.
