Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he is looking forward to meaningful discussions at the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil where PM Modi will take part in a wide range of programmes, both bilateral and multilateral, which will add momentum to India’s ties with various nations.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Over the next few days, I will be in Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana. I will take part in the G20 Summit in Brazil and will meet Caribbean leaders in Guyana. I will also be interacting with the Indian community during this visit.”

The statement released by the Prime Minister Office’s said that PM Modi’s first destination will be Nigeria from where he will travel to Brazil.

“In Brazil, I will attend the 19th G-20 Summit as a troika member. Last year, India’s successful presidency elevated the G-20 to people’s G-20 and mainstreamed the priorities of the Global South into its agenda,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, will participate in the summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 18 and 19.

India is part of the G20 troika, which includes Brazil and South Africa. “This year, Brazil has built upon India’s legacy. I look forward to meaningful discussions in keeping with our vision of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. I will also use the opportunity to exchange views on furthering bilateral cooperation with several other leaders,” PM Modi stated.

During India’s presidency of the G20 last year, significant achievements included the inclusion of the 55-nation African Union as a permanent member and the successful production of a leaders’ declaration that addressed divisions over the Ukraine conflict.

On his upcoming trip to Nigeria, Modi expressed that it would be an opportunity to “build upon our strategic partnership that is based on shared belief in democracy and pluralism.”

He will visit Nigeria on November 16-17 at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, marking his first visit to the country, which plays a crucial role as a partner in West Africa.

Modi added, “I am also eagerly looking forward to meeting the Indian community and friends from Nigeria who have sent me warm welcome messages in Hindi.”

PM Modi will travel to Guyana from November 19 to 21, upon the invitation of President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. This visit will be the first by an Indian prime minister to Guyana in over 50 years.

“We will exchange views on giving strategic direction to our unique relationship, which is based on shared heritage, culture, and values,” he said.

He also mentioned his intent to honor one of the oldest Indian diasporas, which has been in Guyana for more than 185 years, and to engage with a fellow democracy during his address to their Parliament.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday slammed the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government after at least ten newborns were killed in the fire that broke out at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on Friday night.

Hitting out at the BJP government, Gandhi said such tragic incidents, which happen one after another in Uttar Pradesh, raise many serious questions about the negligence of the government and the administration.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the death and injury of several newborn children in the tragic accident at Jhansi Medical College. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” the Congress leader said in a post in Hindi on X.

The Rae Bareli MP demanded that the government ensure the injured children get the best treatment. “Also, this tragic incident should be investigated immediately and strict legal action should be taken against the culprits,” he said.

The Samajwadi Party chief said that is a case of negligence of medical management. “The news of 10 children dying and many children getting injured due to fire in Jhansi Medical College is extremely sad and worrying. Heartfelt condolences to everyone,” he said on X.

He noted that the cause of the fire is being said to be a fire in the ‘oxygen concentrator’. Yadav said that “this is a direct case of negligence of medical management and administration or of poor quality oxygen concentrator”.

Punitive action should be taken against all those responsible in this case, Yadav demanded.

“The Chief Minister should leave the election campaign and false claims of ‘everything being fine’ and focus on the poor condition of health and medical facilities. Only the families who have lost their children can understand the pain and suffering. This is not only a governmental responsibility but also a moral responsibility,” he slammed Yogi.

Gorakhpur should not be repeated, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, referring to the incident where several children were killed due to a shortage of oxygen in a hospital in Yogi Adityanath’s constituency, which shocked the nation.

Yadav said the BJP government in UP should provide world-class medical facilities to all the injured children and give Rs 1 crore each as condolence money to all the bereaved families who have lost their children.

Earlier today, CM Yogi announced assistance of Rs five lakh each to parents of the newborns who died in the fire incident at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College Hospital.

The UP government also announced Rs 50,000 each to the families of the injured from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

The Chief Minister directed the Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Jhansi to submit a report regarding the incident within 12 hours.

The tragic incident that has plunged the nation into mourning, occurred on Friday night in the government-run hospital. According to reports, the fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, broke out around 10:45 PM, claiming the lives of at least 10 newborns and injured 16 others critically.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of serving the interests of billionaires at the expense of India’s poor.

Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, Gandhi said: “The money that Narendra Modi is giving to his friend is your money. It is written in the Constitution that you have rights over water, forest and land. That is why BJP wants to destroy the Constitution so that you do not get your rights.”

“You pay GST, but everything is taken away from you. Dharavi in ​​Maharashtra is the land of the poor, but it is being taken away from them and no one is saying anything. The media also never talks about farmers, labourers or steel plants because these belong to Adani. That is why they show Modi’s face 24 hours a day,” he charged.

“PM Modi keeps calling himself OBC, but till date he has not done anything for the Dalits, backward classes and tribals. The Modi government is distributing the country’s wealth to a select few. Hospitals, education system, industry… everything is being privatised. Modi has waived off Rs 16 lakh crore of billionaires, but he has not waived off a single rupee of farmers,” he charged further.

Gandhi also criticised PM Modi for repeatedly referencing a “red book,” emphasising that its content holds significance rather than its color. “If you had truly engaged with it, you wouldn’t be promoting hatred and dividing our society,” he said while addressing the rally in Godda district.

He described the current political landscape as a battle of ideologies between the Opposition bloc INDIA and the BJP-RSS. “We stand in defense of the Constitution, while the BJP-RSS seeks to discard it. They are inciting violence and attempting to fracture society along caste, creed, and religious lines,” he alleged.

Expressing that he was not afraid of Modi and his so-called “56-inch chest,” Gandhi said, “He is merely a puppet for the wealthy.” He accused the Prime Minister of preaching to the public during the day yet mingling at industrialists’ weddings at night.

Gandhi claimed that the government led by Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra was destabilised to facilitate the land acquisition. He alleged that Modi is attempting to transfer land valued at Rs 1 lakh crore in Dharavi, Mumbai, to a business tycoon.

He advocated for a nationwide caste census, asserting that it would transform India’s social landscape. “A caste census is inevitable,” he declared, adding, “We will dismantle the 50 per cent reservation cap, regardless of what PM Modi attempts.”

Gandhi pointed out that despite Modi’s claims of caring for the underprivileged, he has not forgiven farm loans. He also criticised the BJP for the arrest of JMM leader Hemant Soren, stating, “A tribal chief minister who was elected by the people is now imprisoned in Jharkhand.”

Accusing the BJP of fostering “hate and violence,” he expressed his belief that these issues could be countered with love. “We represent ‘mohabbat ki dukan’ (a shop of love), while they run ‘nafrat ka bazar’ (a market of hatred),” he said.