Uttar Pradesh: Elderly man stands up after posing in wheelchair with BJP MLA, video goes viral
Lucknow: A video featuring Lambhua BJP MLA Sitaram Verma has gone viral on social media, triggering controversy after a man seen posing in a wheelchair during a public program was later seen standing up and walking away, reported Aaj Tak.
The viral clip shows a healthy man being seated in a folding wheelchair while photographs and videos are taken in the presence of the MLA. Soon after the photo-op, the wheelchair is handed over to another person. As the video spread widely on social media, questions were raised over the apparent staging of the event.
Following the online backlash, MLA Sitaram Verma issued a clarification through a video statement.
As per his explanation, the wheelchair was intended for a differently abled person who could not attend the programme due to illness. The wheelchair was therefore handed over to the beneficiary’s father. However, according to reports, the clarification did not explain why a person who appeared healthy was seated in a wheelchair during the photo and video documentation.
The incident reportedly took place at the Lambhua Block premises during an assistive devices distribution programme organised for persons with disabilities on Saturday. Sources said the MLA arrived at the venue after most of the assistive devices had already been distributed. Towards the end of the programme, in the MLA’s presence, a man was reportedly made to sit in a wheelchair for documentation purposes, which later became the focus of the controversy.
According to the MLA, the wheelchair was meant for Sandeep Kumar, a differently-abled resident of Bankepur village, who was unable to attend the program due to illness. As a result, the wheelchair was handed over to his father, Ramdhani, and photographs and videos were taken at the venue.
Taking cognisance of the viral video, the district administration also issued a clarification through the Information Department’s official WhatsApp group. District Backward Classes Welfare Officer Mudit Srivastava stated that the wheelchair shown in the video had been given to Ramdhani, as the actual beneficiary could not be present at the event.
सुल्तानपुर में बीजेपी विधायक सीताराम ने दिव्यांग को फोल्डिंग व्हील चेयर प्रदान की. व्हील चेयर पर बैठते ही लाभार्थी ठीक होकर चमत्कारिक रूप से दोनों पैरों पर खड़ा हो गया.. pic.twitter.com/EnJ9Ab3VIy
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
