The Congress on Friday took a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his participation in the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, alleging that he is attending the meet “safely and securely” only because US President Donald Trump is boycotting the event.

Prime Minister Modi embarked on a three-day visit to South Africa to attend the G20 Summit and the IBSA Summit scheduled between November 21 and 23.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, also questioned how India–US relations would shape up in the coming year, noting that the next G20 Summit will take place in the United States.

Ramesh said that by the time the next Summit is held in America, “presumably India’s trade (or)deal with the US will be done”.

“But if in the past seven months President Trump has claimed 61 times that he halted Operation Sindoor, imagine how many more times he will repeat those claims in the next twelve months,” he remarked.

He further alleged that PM Modi skipped the India–ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur recently to avoid coming face-to-face with President Trump.

Calling it “extraordinary”, Ramesh criticised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for opposing South Africa’s G20 themes of solidarity, equality, and sustainability on grounds that they amount to “anti-Americanism”.

Ramesh also pointed out that G20 presidencies rotate annually — India handed over the presidency to Brazil in November 2024, and South Africa is now set to hand it over to the US, which is not attending the Johannesburg meeting.

He added: “Will huglomacy with ‘my good friend’ revive, will there just be handshakes, or will Mr. Modi not go at all — time alone will tell.”

PM Modi’s Stand

In his departure statement, PM Modi said he would present India’s views in line with the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and the vision of One Earth, One Family, One Future.

He noted that the Johannesburg Summit is “particularly special” as it is being held in Africa, and said he would also meet several world leaders on the margins of the event.

Modi will additionally participate in the 6th IBSA Summit during his visit.

The G20 this year is themed “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability.” According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi is expected to speak in all three sessions of the Summit.

The G20 represents more than 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday launched a large-scale search operation across Jharkhand and West Bengal as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation into alleged coal mafia activities in the two neighbouring states, officials said.

More than 40 locations were raided beginning at around 6 am, with nearly 100 officers and staff of the federal agency deployed. Central security forces accompanied the ED teams to ensure security during the operation.

According to officials, the search teams covered residences, offices, toll collection booths, and check posts, acting under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

During the raids, the ED seized cash and gold jewellery from several premises.

Jharkhand Raids

In Jharkhand, the agency searched around 18 locations linked to individuals and entities allegedly associated with coal theft and smuggling.

According to sources, premises connected to Anil Goyal, Sanjay Udhyog, L. B. Singh, and Amar Mandal were among those covered.

Officials said the scale of the alleged coal pilferage is “significant,” involving losses amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees to the government.

West Bengal Raids

In West Bengal, the ED conducted searches at about 24 locations, including districts such as Durgapur, Purulia, Howrah, and Kolkata.

Among those whose premises were searched are Narendra Kharka, Yudhistar Ghosh, Krishna Murari Kayal, Chinmayi Mondal, and Rajkoshore Yadav, officials said.

The raids focus on alleged illegal coal mining, transportation, and storage operations, which the agency suspects are part of a wider money laundering network.

More than 50,000 children in conflict with the law remain trapped in a sluggish justice system, with over half of all cases pending before the country’s 362 Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs), according to a new study released by the India Justice Report (IJR).

Despite a decade since the Juvenile Justice Act came into force, the study reveals persistent gaps — including missing judges, poorly inspected child care homes, absence of structured data systems, and deep inequalities among states.

As of October 31, 2023, JJBs were handling 1,00,904 cases, of which 55% were pending. Pendency varied sharply across states, from 83% in Odisha to 35% in Karnataka. Although 92% of India’s districts have constituted JJBs, one in four boards is functioning without a full bench. Each board carries an average backlog of 154 cases.

The findings also coincide with data showing 40,036 juveniles apprehended in 2023 under IPC and special laws — three-fourths of them in the 16–18 age group.

The report further notes major weaknesses in the rehabilitation structure. Nearly 30% of JJBs lack legal aid clinics, while 14 states and Jammu & Kashmir have no “places of safety” for children above 18. Oversight of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) is inadequate — only 810 of the required 1,992 inspections were conducted across 166 homes.

A glaring data vacuum persists. With no national-level data grid for the juvenile justice system, IJR researchers filed over 250 RTI applications. Of more than 500 responses received, only 36% provided useful information, highlighting weak transparency.

Calling the findings a “warning sign,” IJR chief editor Maja Daruwala said the system depends on a regular flow of information, but “authorised oversight bodies neither receive it routinely nor insist on it.”

The report warns that scattered and inconsistent data has made supervision “episodic” and accountability hollow.