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Congress on Sunday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his reference to the Aldabra Giant Tortoise during his ongoing visit to Seychelles, with party general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claiming that India had officially recognised the iconic species long before the current government. In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh wrote, “Long before the self-declared but brutally exposed Vishwaguru discovered the Aldabra Giant Tortoise yesterday, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s government had issued a postage stamp on August 2, 2008.” The Congress leader’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi, who is on a three-day State Visit to Seychelles as the Guest of Honour for the island nation’s Golden Jubilee National Day celebrations, highlighted the Aldabra Giant Tortoise during his engagements in the country. The species, native to Seychelles’ Aldabra Atoll, is among the world’s largest tortoises and is regarded as a symbol of the country’s unique biodiversity and conservation efforts. By referring to the 2008 commemorative postage stamp issued during the United Progressive Alliance government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Congress sought to argue that India’s recognition of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise predates the Narendra Modi government’s initiatives and public references to the species. The exchange is the latest in a series of political barbs between the Congress and the ruling BJP over the legacy of previous governments and the attribution of achievements in India’s diplomatic and environmental engagements. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Seychelles has focused on strengthening bilateral ties in areas including maritime security, climate action, sustainable development, digital connectivity and the blue economy. During the visit, he also received Seychelles’ highest honour for environmental conservation and sustainable development and held talks with the country’s leadership aimed at deepening the strategic partnership between the

Chandni Chowk Nagrik Manch General Secretary Praveen Shankar Kapoor wrote to Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi and Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, drawing their attention to the alleged negligence by the civic body officials in identifying dangerous buildings and taking action against them after conducting a pre-monsoon survey.

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