Category: NATION

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday said the Supreme Court’s observations on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was a “befitting reply” to the opposition parties and demanded a “public apology” from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav for opposing the exercise.

The apex court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it a “constitutional mandate”. It also asked the poll panel to consider Aadhaar, Voter ID and ration cards as valid documents during the exercise.

Commenting on the development, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the apex court’s observations made it clear that the SIR is a process to bring transparency and fairness in voting.

The apex court has also made it clear that initiation of a special drive for intensive revision of the electoral rolls comes within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission from a constitutional point of view, he said.

“The Supreme Court’s comment is a befitting reply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav,” the BJP leader told reporters.

He demanded that Yadav and Gandhi “publicly apologise to the people of India and Bihar”, taking cognisance of the apex court’s observations.

“Will Tejashwi Yadav accept the Supreme Court’s decision (observations) or not?’ he asked.

Bhatia asked Gandhi to explain why he was protesting on the streets of Patna a day before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the matter.

“This makes it clear that these leaders have no faith in the Supreme Court,” he charged.

Bhatia asked both Yadav and Gandhi to “introspect” and said, “People will keep giving a befitting reply to those parties and leaders who do not have faith in the constitution and constitutional institutions.”

The BJP leader also attacked the Congress, claiming “internal tussle” in the party over its chief minister’s face in Karnataka, and said, “While people are fed up with the Congress government in the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar are happy.”

The people want good governance in Karnataka, but these two leaders only want to enjoy power, he alleged.

“The people of Karnataka are asking today, who will take care of them? One leader wants to continue holding the chair (of chief minister), while the other leader wants to get it (from him),” he said in an apparent reference to Siddaramiah and Shivakumar.

“The kind of dirty politics that the Congress party is doing in Karnataka, the people of the state are suffering. This is very unfortunate,” he added.

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said the Supreme Court order on pleas challenging the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar makes it clear that “no stay was asked for by any of the petitioners”, and hoped the ruling will save a vast majority of voters from being disenfranchised.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents during its ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, set to go to polls later this year.

Calling SIR a “constitutional mandate”, Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi considered the submissions of senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the EC, and permitted the poll panel to continue with the exercise in Bihar with over 7 crore voters.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “Following the Honble Supreme Court’s order that has just come out officially, the Election Commission now has to include the EPIC, Aadhar cards, and Ration Cards in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar. This will save a vast majority of voters from being disenfranchised,” Ramesh said on X.

“Moreover the EC’s spin on the no stay being given has been clearly exposed. Page 7 of the order makes it clear that no stay was asked for by any of the petitioners yesterday. Such deliberately misleading headline management does not befit a Constitutional authority,” he said.

Hitting back at Ramesh, the BJP accused him of misinterpreting the Supreme Court observations.

“Stop misinterpreting the Supreme Court. The Court has not mandated the acceptance of any additional documents—it has merely said it may consider them. Justice Dhulia clearly stated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is free to record valid reasons for excluding any document. The discretion lies with the ECI,” BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said in his post on X.

“Deliberately misrepresenting court observations is dangerous — you could be held in contempt for attributing to the Court what it never said. Just ask Rahul Gandhi, who faced the consequences for a similar offence not long ago,” he said.

Ramesh also tagged screenshots of the court order with his post.

“Since these cases will come up before the appropriate Court prior to August 1, 2025 which is the scheduled date for notification of Draft Electoral Rolls there is no occasion presently to pass any order on the ad interim stay applications, and the petitioners in any case do not press for a stay at this stage,” the order said.

Depending on the reply of the Election Commission the petitioners would always be at liberty to press their plea for stay on the next date of listing, it said.

Terming the right to vote as an important right in a democratic country, the bench said, “We cannot stop a constitutional body from doing what it is supposed to do. Simultaneously, we will not let them do what they are not supposed to do.”

The bench in its order further noted, “After hearing both sides, we are of the opinion that three questions are involved in this case. A, the very powers of the EC to undertake the exercise, B, the procedure and the manner in which the exercise is being undertaken, and C, the timing, including the timings given for preparation of draft electoral rolls, asking objections and making the final electoral roll, etcetera, which is very short, considering the fact that Bihar election are due in November 2025.”

Underlining the need to hear the matter, the bench posted over 10 petitions challenging the drive on July 28.

The poll panel in the meantime was directed to file its response within a week following which the rejoinder from the petitioners could be filed a week thereafter.

The bench took on record the poll panel’s statement that the list of 11 documents it had to consider for SIR was not exhaustive.

“Therefore, in our view, since the list is not exhaustive, it would be in the interest of justice if the ECI will also consider the following three documents, such as Aadhaar card, voter ID card, and ration card,” the bench ordered.

The poll panel, represented by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi and senior advocates K K Venugopal and Maninder Singh, however, objected to this part of the order.

“We are not saying you have to. It is up to you to consider. We are saying it looks that way. They are genuine. If you have a good reason to discard then discard it. But give reasons,” Justice Dhulia remarked.

New Delhi:  CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and Anurag Saxena on Friday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, and said they have received several complaints of “harassment of genuine citizens” during the ongoing exercise for “identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” on grounds that they speak Bengali.

In a letter addressed to the home minister, the CPI(M) leaders said they heard complaints of human rights violations, harassment and extortion.

Karat, a former MP and special invitee to CPI(M) Politburo, and Saxena, Delhi state secretary of the party, said they, along with a team, visited Delhi’s Bawana JJ colony and met several of the complainants.

“We were shocked to find blatant violation of minimum human rights, harassment and in some cases, corruption amounting to extortion,” the CPI(M) leaders alleged.

They noted that the exercise was being carried out by Delhi Police and several other agencies under directions from the Union Home Ministry.

Listing out the cases, they gave cited the story of one Md Nizamuddin who said he was from Godda district, Jharkhand, and had migrated to Delhi several decades ago.

“He was allotted a plot by DDA in 2004 in Bawana JJ colony and presently resides there. On July 5, a team of police personnel from the local thana went to his house and accused him of helping a Bangladeshi to get illegal papers.

“He explained to the police that the tenant was staying there three years ago and he had no contact and had no idea of the person’s whereabouts,” the CPI(M) leaders said.

They said he was taken to the police station again on July 6, and also allegedly beaten up. While he was released later, the CPI(M) leaders said they were told photographs of the family had been uploaded on a police site.

“All such photos should be deleted from police records as the family are bonafide Indian citizens who have committed no crime. Also, action should be taken against those who beat Nizamuddin in custody,” they said.

The letter also gave the example of one Sajan Saudagar Das from the jhuggi settlement in Bawana C block, who was picked up by the police on May 6 and taken to Pritampura thana. The CPI(M) leaders alleged he was badly beaten by two policemen who abused him saying that he should “confess” that he was a Bangladeshi.

They added that the police later said he was picked up “by mistake”, and had picked him up as they received information that he was speaking in Bengali, the CPI(M) leaders said.

Another example cited by the leaders mentioned three women aged between 60 and 70 years who came to India as children, got married and have families here.

The letter also gave examples from Vivekanand camp in Chanakyapuri, where they alleged police took away ID documents from Bengalis and were returned later after intervention by some activists.

“The process of identification of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the capital of India is an example of violation of minimum human rights. In the process, genuine Indian citizens are being targeted on grounds of language and religion. Is it now a crime in India to speak Bengali?” the CPI(M) leaders questioned.

“Further, are all Bengali speaking Muslim citizens of India to be treated as criminals and illegal immigrants? We would like to remind you that 26 per cent of the population of West Bengal are Bengali speaking Muslims.” they said.

The CPI(M) leaders also said there are international norms for deportation of illegal immigrants. “The present methods of identification in Delhi violate all such norms,” they added.

Bhubaneswar:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the BJP of making attempts to “hijack upcoming elections in Bihar, as it did in Maharashtra”.

Addressing the party’s ‘Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh’ here, Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the INDIA bloc parties have decided to prevent the BJP from “hijacking” the Bihar assembly polls.

“Like Maharashtra, attempts are being made to hijack the elections in Bihar. The BJP is attacking our Constitution across the country,” Gandhi alleged.

During an INDIA bloc meeting held on Thursday, it was decided to “prevent the BJP from hijacking the elections in Bihar” where assembly polls are due later this year, he claimed.

He also accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of “not doing its duty but working for the interest of the BJP”.

Gandhi also alleged, “The BJP runs the government for five to sin capitalists. It does not work for the common people of the country.”

Stating that the ‘Jal, Jangal, Jamin’ (water, forest and land) belongs to the tribals and will remain for them, Gandhi claimed that Odisha’s BJP government has “not implemented” the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.

“Forest rights pattas are not provided to the tribals. The Congress has brought the PESA and Tribal Bill. We will enforce these laws and ensure the tribals get their land,” Gandhi said.

He alleged, “Odisha is being looted by the BJP government, similar to what the BJD did during its tenure.”

 

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar calling it a “constitutional mandate”.

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, however, questioned the timing of the exercise besides offering its prima facie view that Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration cards could be considered during the SIR in Bihar.

“We are of the prima facie view that Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards and the ration cards be allowed in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls,” it said.

Noting that none of the petitioners, including leaders of 10 opposition parties, prayed for an interim stay of the poll panel’s exercise, the bench sought response on the batch of petitions and posted the hearing on July 28.

The ECI, the bench said, should file a counter affidavit to the petitions by July 21 and rejoinders should be filed by July 28.

The bench said it was not doubting the credentials and sincerity of the election commission in doing the exercise which was a constitutional mandate but said the timing of the process were raising doubts.

“We are not doubting your sincerity but there are perceptions. We are not thinking of stopping you because it is a constitutional mandate,” the bench told senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the poll panel.

Dwivedi said 60 per cent of voters had verified their credentials and assured the court none of the voter’s name will be removed from the electoral rolls, without giving them a hearing.

“We cannot stop a constitutional body from doing what it is supposed to do. Simultaneously, we will not let them do what they are not supposed to do,” the bench said.

Earlier in the day, the bench questioned the poll panel on the timing of the SIR drive in poll-bound Bihar saying it went to the “root of democracy and power to vote” while rejecting the argument that the poll panel did not have any power to carry it out.

The ECI also justified the exercise and said Aadhaar wasn’t a “proof of citizenship”.

The bench questioned Dwivedi over the exclusion of Aadhaar card in the SIR drive in Bihar and said the ECI had nothing to do with citizenship of a person and it was the Ministry of Home Affairs’ domain.

Dwivedi responded while referring to Article 326 of the Constitution and said every voter has to be an Indian citizen and “Aadhaar card is not proof of citizenship”.

Justice Dhulia said, “If you are to check citizenship under SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, then you should have acted early; it is a bit late.”

The bench, in the meantime, rejected the submission of the petitioners’ counsel that the ECI did not have power to conduct any such exercise in Bihar for it was mandated under the Constitution and the last such exercise happened in 2003.

While referring to the petitioners’ contentions, the bench said the ECI had to answer three questions as the SIR exercise in Bihar went to “root of democracy and power to vote”.

The questions of the petitioners, including political parties and their leaders aside from civil society members and organisations, deal with the ECI’s power to conduct such an exercise and its timing.

Dwivedi said with passage of time, electoral rolls need to be revised to look into inclusion or exclusion of voter names with the SIR being the one exercise to do it.

He asked if the ECI did not have the power to revise the electoral roll then who did.

The poll panel, however, assured the top court of not leaving out anyone from the voter list without an opportunity to be heard.

At the outset, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for NGO ‘Association for Democratic Reforms’, said the revision of electoral rolls can be permitted under the Representation of People Act.

The entire SIR will cover around 7.9 crore citizens, he said, and even the voter ID and Aadhaar cards are not being considered.

Over 10 petitions have been filed in the SC, including one by NGO ‘Association for Democratic Reforms’, the lead petitioner.

RJD MP Manoj Jha and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress’ K C Venugopal, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, CPI leader D Raja, Samajwadi Party’s Harinder Singh Malik, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant, JMM’s Sarfraz Ahmed and Dipankar Bhattacharya of CPI (ML) have also moved the top court, seeking direction for quashing the EC order.

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said the Supreme Court’s suggestion that the Election Commission (EC) should allow Aadhaar cards, voter-ID cards and ration cards in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar has come as a “relief for democracy”.

Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal pointed out that the apex court will hear the case again later this month, while expressing hope that the EC will go with the court’s suggestion.

“Basically, it is a relief for democracy. The case is again fixed for the 28th of this month,” Venugopal told reporters, when asked about the Supreme Court’s suggestion.

He said the court asking the EC to allow Aadhaar cards, ration cards and voter-ID cards for the identification of voters during the special exercise is in itself a big thing.

“That itself is the biggest thing coming from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has given its view through that to ensure that Aadhaar cards, ration cards and election-ID cards should be part of a verification process in a democratic set up. I think the EC will go with that suggestion of the Supreme Court. Let us wait for that,” the Congress leader said.

The apex court on Thursday allowed the EC to continue with its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it a “constitutional mandate”.

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, however, questioned the timing of the move, besides offering its prima facie view that Aadhaar cards, voter-ID cards and ration cards could be considered during the exercise.

“We are of the prima facie view that Aadhaar cards, voter-ID cards and ration cards be allowed in the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls,” the bench said.

Noting that none of the petitioners, including the leaders of 10 opposition parties, had prayed for an interim stay of the poll panel’s exercise, the bench sought the response of the EC on the batch of petitions and posted the hearing on July 28.

The EC, the bench said, should file a counter-affidavit to the petitions by July 21, adding that rejoinders should be filed by July 28.

The top court said it was not doubting the EC’s credentials and sincerity in doing the exercise, which was a constitutional mandate, but added that the timing of the process was raising doubts.

Vadodara: The death toll in the collapse of a bridge over the Mahisagar river in Gujarat’s Vadodara district climbed to 16 on Thursday, and the search operation for three to four missing persons is currently underway, officials said.

Several vehicles fell into the Mahisagar river after a portion of the four-decade-old bridge, connecting Anand and Vadodara districts, caved in near Gambhira village close to Padra town of Vadodara on Wednesday morning.

“So far, 16 bodies have been recovered, while three to four persons are still missing,” Vadodara district Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand said.

“The search and rescue operation is still on,” he said.

Vadodara Collector Anil Dhameliya has said earlier that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are conducting a search in the river to find out the survivors, if any, or bodies of the victims.

“Teams of the NDRF and SDRF are conducting a search up to four kilometres downstream the river…People can call our control room to inform us about other missing persons,” he told reporters at the site.

“Rain and a thick layer of mud in the river is making the rescue operation a challenging task because no machine is working in such a situation. A special bridge is being constructed on the shore to get closer to the drowned vehicles in the middle of the river,” the collector said.

A slab of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region of the state, collapsed at around 7 am on Wednesday. This caused vehicles passing through the bridge to plunge into the river, the officials said.

Five out of the nine rescued persons suffered injuries and were undergoing treatment at the SSG Hospital in Vadodara, the district SP has said, adding that none of the injured was in a critical condition.

New Delhi: India notched up important achievements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-nation tour, the BJP said on Thursday, asserting that it forged a unequivocal consensus against terrorism at BRICS, signed agreements for critical and rare earth materials and deepened ties with its diaspora during his visit.

Speaking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi played down US President Donald Trump’s threat of slapping extra tariff on BRICS members, and said India is committed to safeguarding its military, diplomatic and trade interests under Modi’s leadership.

He said the extra tariff threat on BRICS members was an internal matter of the US, noting that India is in talks with the country for a trade agreement.

“People have complete faith that every Indian interest under every circumstance is fully protected under Modi’s leadership,” he asserted.

With the prime minister returning to India in the morning after the week-long tour, the BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP claimed that he has heralded a new era for the country’s role at international platforms.

India’s alignment with the global south has reached new heights, he added.

Noting that Modi has so far received highest civilian honour from 27 countries and addressed parliaments of 17 nations, Trivedi said it is not only his but every Indian’s recognition.

He evoked Hindu traditional belief in 27 “nakshatra” (constellation of stars) and said conferment of their highest honour on Modi by as many countries was a sparkling reflection of the emerging strength and acknowledgement of India.

Modi visited Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia.

India, Trivedi said, had gone on to become the brightest member of the BRICS from the weakest it was during the Congress-led UPA government.

It is the only country to be a member of the BRICS as well as the QUAD, and it shows its foreign policy under Modi has entered a new era, he said. It has become non-aligned to all-aligned, he added.

Trivedi said India’s agreement with Ghana and Namibia, both of which have large reserves of critical and rare earth materials, will help it source these important minerals for its growth and remove the dependence on one country, an apparent reference to China.

This is important as India is now the fourth largest economy and its economic and strategic interests will depend on their availability, he added.

Another achievement of the trip was the fillip to social and cultural ties with countries like Ghana, and Trinidad and Tobago, which have significant presence of the Indian diaspora, he said.

Ranchi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Centre was committed to advancing the development of states with renewed focus and direction, calling for collective efforts to achieve this goal, officials said.

Shah made the remark at the 27th Eastern Zonal Council meeting, attended by representatives from the four eastern states — Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal —including Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi.

Soren raised 31 issues concerning the state, including Rs 1.36 lakh-crore in dues from central coal PSUs, and called for improved infrastructure and job creation through MSMEs, officials said.

Jharkhand also raised the issue of a separate Sarna religious code for tribals.

Shah who arrived in the state capital on Wednesday night left for Delhi in a special chartered plane after the meeting.

Soren in a post on X said the demands included priority to local inhabitants in PSUs, safe mines closure and Centre’s support for boosting tourism and protecting tribal heritage among others.

Focus was also on augmenting infrastructure in the state, including proposal for a Metro project besides important railways and highways schemes.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chowdhary said, “A committee was formed to resolve the pending issues including assets division between Bihar and Jharkhand post bifurcation of Bihar.”

Shah assured all four states of full cooperation in eliminating the Naxal menace and said it would be completely wiped out by March 31, 2026.

On Supreme Court allowing the Election Commission to continue with its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar calling it a “constitutional mandate”, he said the verdict is welcome and no one interferes in EC’s work.

At the meeting, Bihar raised long-pending issues related to asset division between Bihar and Jharkhand, which remain unresolved since Jharkhand’s formation on November 15, 2000.

According to officials, Jharkhand demanded amendments to the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act to ensure that mining companies return land to the state government after mining is completed.

During the meeting with NITI Aayog in May, Soren had demanded that mining companies in the state be mandated to establish captive power plants with 30 per cent of the total production utilised within the state.

He had said this would also boost employment generation.

The chief minister had also urged that special assistance provided to the Northeastern states be extended to Jharkhand.

Besides Soren, Jharkhand Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Minister Deepak Birua, Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, Principal Secretary (Home) Vandana Dadel, and DGP Anurag Gupta attended the meeting, another official said.

After about a fortnight, Soren returned to Ranchi late on Wednesday to attend the meeting as he was in Delhi, where his father and former chief minister Shibu Soren is undergoing treatment.

Bihar was represented by ministers Vijay Choudhary and Samrat Choudhary, who arrived here on Wednesday.

Odisha’s delegation included CM Majhi and his deputy Parvati Parida.

West Bengal was represented by Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.

Under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, five zonal councils were established in the country.

The Union home minister is the chairperson of these five zonal councils, and the chief ministers or lieutenant governors or administrators of the member states and Union territories are the members.

The zonal councils take up many important matters, including issues related to national importance such as the speedy investigation of cases of sexual offences against women and children, implementation of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) for their swift disposal, providing brick-and-mortar banking facilities within the designated area of every village, implementation of the Emergency Response Support System.

Various regional-level and common-interest issues, such as strengthening nutrition, education, health, electricity, urban planning and the cooperative system, are also discussed during such a meeting, the officials added.

The meeting was originally scheduled for May 10, but was postponed in view of the tense India-Pakistan situation.

According to the government, the chief minister of a member state — on a yearly rotational basis — serves as the vice-chairperson of the zonal council, while each state’s governor nominates two ministers to represent the state in the council.

Each zonal council also has a permanent committee headed by the chief secretaries of the member states. Issues raised by the states are first discussed in this committee, officials said.

After review by the permanent committee, unresolved matters are taken up during the full zonal council meeting for further discussion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need to leverage cooperative and competitive federalism for the all-round development of the country, they said.

With a belief that strong and vibrant states make a strong nation, the zonal councils provide a structured mechanism for dialogue and discussion on issues affecting two or more states or the Centre, and these serve as an important platform to enhance mutual cooperation, they added.

More than 60 meetings of the various zonal councils and their permanent committees have been held in the last 11 years, they added.

 

 

 

New Delhi:  The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he returned home from his five-nation visit, saying that now that he is back, he could find time to visit Manipur, review why the Pahalgam terrorists are yet to be brought to justice and reflect on infrastructure collapses in his home state.

The opposition party also said the PM could also, for a change, chair an all-party meeting to firm up the agenda for the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament.

Prime Minister Modi returned to India this morning after his visit to five nations -Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. During the trip, Modi also attended the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “India welcomes back its Super Premium Frequent Flier PM who is expected to be in the country for perhaps three weeks before jetting around again.”

“Now that he is here, he could find the time to visit Manipur where the people have been awaiting him for more than two years; review why the Pahalgam terrorists have yet to be brought to justice; reflect on infrastructure collapses in his home state; and  sanction assistance to Himachal Pradesh that has been devastated by floods,” Ramesh said.

His remarks come a day after at least 13 people, including two siblings, were killed as several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river after a portion of a four-decade-old bridge collapsed in Gujarat’s Vadodara district.

Ramesh further said the prime minister could also devote his attention to the reform of GST to stimulate mass consumption and also take steps to boost private investment by companies other than a few and favoured big business groups.

“He could also, for a change, chair an all-party meeting to firm up the agenda for the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament,” Ramesh said.

The Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 21.

Last week, Modi embarked on the five-nation tour beginning with Ghana. He then travelled to Trinidad and Tobago on a two-day visit from July 3 to 4.

In the third leg of his visit, Modi visited Argentina from July 4 to 5.

In the fourth leg of his visit, Modi travelled to Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The prime minister visited Brazil from July 5 to 8 and attended the 17th BRICS Summit followed by a state visit.

Modi then visited Namibia before his return to India.