NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after his return from a five-nation tour, urging him to focus on domestic issues, including the ongoing crisis in Manipur, the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, and the recent infrastructure collapse in Gujarat.
PM Modi arrived in India on Thursday morning after visiting Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. During the trip, he also participated in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Taking a dig at Modi, Congress general secretary in-charge of 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.”
Ramesh said the prime minister should now find time to visit Manipur, where people have been waiting for over two years, and review why those behind the recent terror attack in Pahalgam are still not brought to justice.
He also pointed to the tragic bridge collapse in Gujarat’s Vadodara district on Wednesday, where at least 13 people, including two siblings, died after vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river.
“Now that he is here, he could... reflect on infrastructure collapses in his home state; and sanction assistance to Himachal Pradesh that has been devastated by floods,” Ramesh said.
He added that the PM should focus on reforming the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to boost consumption and take measures to encourage private investment beyond a few big business houses.
Ramesh also suggested that Modi “could also, for a change, chair an all-party meeting to firm up the agenda for the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament,” which is set to begin on July 21.
PM Modi’s five-nation visit began with Ghana, followed by Trinidad and Tobago from July 3 to 4. He then travelled to Argentina from July 4 to 5, and Brazil from July 5 to 8, where he attended the BRICS Summit. His final stop was Namibia before returning to India.