The Evening Wrap: 9 killed in blast in explosives manufacturing company in Nagpur

At least nine persons, including six women, were killed and three others seriously injured when a powerful blast ripped through an explosives manufacturing factory in the rural part of Nagpur district in Maharashtra on December 17. According to police authorities, the blast took place at 9 a.m. in a cast booster unit of Solar Industries India Ltd. at Bazaargaon, around 60 km away from Nagpur. Twelve labourers were said to be present when the explosion occurred. The injured are said to be in a critical condition and the death toll could rise further, said informed sources. Company officials said the accident occurred in the building where boosters used in coal mines were produced. Locals said the tremors of the blast could be felt in nearby villages. “The incident took place during a sieving operation [the explosive raw material is sieved before use] in a building where boosters for use in coal mines are made. Prima facie, nine persons have died following the explosion. The situation is under control. No labourer was currently in the building,” said a senior company official. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the site and said his government had announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. “This is an extremely unfortunate and tragic accident. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has already announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for each of the kin of the deceased. We are thoroughly probing the cause of the accident,” he said. Expressing his grief over the accident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the district administration and the police to follow up the case and provide immediate succour to the victims, particularly in the provision of timely and quality treatment to the injured. A mob of irate labourers converged near the company gate soon after the explosion, demanding explanation from the company management regarding the fate of the deceased. Several complained about overwork, while some labourers said they were recalled to duty after the completion of their shift on the occasion. The police later cordoned off the area. Parliament breach | Police recover pieces of burnt phone, charges of evidence destruction to be added Four days after Parliament’s security was breached, the Delhi Police recovered fragments of some broken and burnt mobile phones from Rajasthan’s Nagaur, an official said on December 17. An officer privy to the investigations said a few pieces of mobile phones have been recovered on December 16 on the instance of Lalit Jha, who was among six arrested by the police in connection to the case. A team of Delhi Police’s Special Cell on December 17 took Jha to Rajasthan’s Nagaur where he stayed with the help of accused Mahesh Kumawat, officials said. Sources said that the Delhi Police decided to add more IPC sections, including Section 201 (destruction of evidence/disappearance of evidence) in the FIR registered on December 13. Police have filed terrorism charges under the stringent UAPA against the accused. Police officials said Jha and Kumawat intentionally destroyed the mobile phones to hide technical evidence related to the case. The Delhi Police have arrested six people so far, Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D, Amol Shinde, Neelam Devi, Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat, for their alleged involvement in the case. Two men — Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D — had jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow smoke from canisters and shouted slogans, before being overpowered by the MPs. Around the same time, two others — Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi — released coloured smoke from canisters while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi” outside the Parliament premises. Jha, who was present outside the gate, had recorded the act on his mobile phone. After uploading it on social media and sharing it with his friends, he went to Nagaur in Rajasthan. Kumawat and accused Kailash, who are cousins, allegedly arranged his stay there. Later Jha and Kumawat came to Delhi and surrendered to the police. Parliament security breach serious issue, there should be no squabbling over it: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the seriousness of the security breach in Parliament cannot be underestimated, and called for no squabbling over the issue amid Opposition’s protests over it in Parliament. In an interview to Hindi daily ‘Dainik Jagran’, Modi said probe agencies are investigating the incident and taking stringent measures, noting that it is equally necessary to go to the root of people behind it and their motives. The newspaper said he described the breach as “painful and a matter of concern”. “Efforts should also be made to look for a solution with collective spirit. Everyone should avoid squabbling over such an issue,” he said. “The gravity of the incident which happened in Parliament should not be underestimated,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the Speaker has also been taking necessary steps with all seriousness. The government has insisted that the security in Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and it has been following the Speaker’s directives. It has also cited numerous such violations in the past, accusing the opposition of politicising the issue. Meanwhile, the Congress accused Modi of running away from a debate on the security breach in Parliament and said the reason for it is that questions will be raised on the role of the Mysuru BJP MP in facilitating the entry of those who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “The Prime Minister has finally broken his silence on the extraordinary events in the Lok Sabha on December 13th. He says probe is needed and not debate and that such a probe is on.” “All that INDIA parties are asking for and will continue to press for is a statement by the Home Minister on what happened on December 13th and how exactly it happened,” Ramesh said. “The PM is running away from a debate for a very simple reason. Questions will be raised on the role of the Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha in facilitating the entry of the intruders into the Lok Sabha on December 13th,” he said. ‘Look beyond the binary of public and private spaces to battle discrimination in terms of gender, disability and caste’: CJI “Courts have recognised that a seemingly neutral law might be a tool of oppression to a particular group. To truly achieve substantive equality, the impact of its provisions must be understood in the context of social realities,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said during a lecture in Bengaluru on December 17. Delivering ‘The Inaugural Justice E. S. Venkataramiah Centennial Memorial Lecture’ organised by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) on the topic of ‘Constitutional imperatives of the State navigating discrimination in public and private spaces’, he stressed the need for law to look beyond the binary of public and private spaces to battle discrimination in terms of gender, disability and caste. “Overcoming socially ascribed roles necessitates transcending artificial public-private dichotomies. Addressing power imbalances has become an imperative of our time. Our laws are powerful tools in opening our public spaces as well as curbing private discrimination,” he said. “To truly overcome stereotypical roles, the law and policy should transcend the public - private dichotomy and address power imbalances regardless of the locations. This requires a comprehensive approach which considers societal context, historical perspectives and the jurisprudence of discrimination law. By doing so, we pave the way for a society where equality is not a mere slogan, but a lived reality for all our members. The legal landscape must evolve weaving a tapestry that accommodates differences, eradicates biases and ensures substantive equality,” he added. He also elaborated on the need to make courts across the country disabled friendly, as an example of this push. “The Supreme Court’s State of the Judiciary report indicated that only 30.4% of district court complexes have washrooms for persons with disabilities and other infrastructural facilities. In preparing for a day at the court, rather than sharpening their arguments and submissions, a lawyer or a litigator is forced to account for parking arrangements and spot washroom facilities inside the court complex,” said. He also lauded the judiciary in Karnataka for having the highest number of employees of persons with disabilities, particularly among their staff. He said disability was often viewed as a barrier which denies opportunities to the differently abled, due to societal biases. He added that individuals with disabilities often encountered doubts about their capabilities after receiving opportunities due to ingrained ableism. He also said technology played a key role in shaping inclusive spaces and how it acts as a democratising force which ensures that access to information and legal processes is no longer a privilege, but a right. The CJI said that based on the recommendations of an audit performed by the Supreme Court Committee of Accessibility, the apex court was currently in the process of introducing accessible routes, dedicated parking spaces along with the establishment of dedicated sections, mediations protocols and enhanced facilities like accessible restrooms and lactation rooms, among other things. He also said that recently, a hearing-impaired lawyer, Sarah Sunny, was allowed to argue a case virtually with the assistance of a sign language interpreter in the court. Growth rate at 6%, India will remain lower middle economy by 2047, says Raghuram Rajan Former Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said India will still remain a lower middle country if the potential growth rate remains at 6% annually without any rise in population by 2047 (Amrit Kaal) and will be reaching the end of the demographic dividend by then. Speaking at a programme organised by Manthan in Hyderabad, he said if the country does not grow faster, it will grow older (demographically) before it gets richer, which means there is the burden of an ageing population also to deal with at that point. Rajan said the GDP growth in India for the past two quarters was in the region of 7.5% and if one looks at the labour force participation, it is very low and when it comes to female participation, “it is the lowest in the G20”. “India’s growth potential is today about 6% a year, GDP growth. If you do the math, at 6% a year, you double every 12 years and therefore in 24 years, we’ll be four times our per capita income. Today, the per capita income in India, as you know, is just a little below $2,500 per person. Multiply by four, we get $10,000 per person…So if you do the math, at our current rate of growth, you know, strong as it is highest in the G20, we don’t get rich but we stay lower middle income till 2047,” he said. The former RBI chief said some southern States are growing with regards to population at below reproduction rate, in other words, the fertility rate has fallen below reproduction rate thus slowing the growth. “In other words, we will start the process of aging at some point around that time, which leads to the alarming question if we don’t grow faster, we will grow old before we grow rich, which means we all have all the burdens of an aging population to deal with also at that point,” he opined. Rajan said some of the developed nations moved from manufacturing to services as part of moving up the value chain after they became richer. Those countries are largely services economies with 70% of the workforce in rich countries, typically in the service industry and 20% in manufacturing, 5% each in construction and agriculture, he noted. Rajya Sabha panel pulls up Union government for delay in framing rules for Acts passed by the Parliament The Subordinate Legislation Committee of Rajya Sabha, headed by BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpayee, has pulled up the Union government for the delay in framing of rules/regulations for the Acts passed by Parliament. The panel said in a report submitted recently in the Upper House that it has become a recurring phenomenon for the Union Ministries to delay the framing of rules. The Committee also noted with concern that the Ministries deal with the framing of rules/regulations in a very casual manner, and no serious effort was made to complete the exercise within the time limit. The mandate of the Subordinate Legislation Committee is to scrutinise and report to the Rajya Sabha whether the delegated powers to make Rules, Regulations, Bye-laws, Schemes and other statutory instruments, given to the Executive by the Parliament, is being properly exercised. “However, the Committee noticed that despite the time limit prescribed for completion of framing of subordinate legislation and the several observations and recommendations of the Committee on the matter, various Acts are still pending since many years in various Ministries,” Bajpayee said in the report. On the National Food Security Act of 2013, the report said even after the Act came into force about ten years ago, the Rule-making process had been stuck up, especially on the part of State Governments. Similarly, on the rules of Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, the panel said four years had lapsed without any progress when so much importance was being given to Ease of Doing Business in India, which could adversely affect the confidence in the international business community that may like to invest in the country. On the delay in framing the rules of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) Act, 2006, the panel expressed dismay and concern over the pace at which the Petroleum Ministry was working on framing the rules. Pulling up the Department of Higher Education, it said subordinate legislations of the Sikkim University Act, 2006; the Tripura University Act, 2006; the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act, 2007; and the Central University Act, 2009 have not been tabled yet. On the rules of the Wakf Act, 2013, the panel feared that the State governments were delaying the process of framing of subordinate legislations and this might have caused delay in reaching the benefits to the eligible persons. The panel also asked the Union AYUSH Ministry to take all the steps to complete the framing of subordinate legislations under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020; the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020; and the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Act, 2020. In Brief: SA vs IND, 1st ODI | Arshdeep, Avesh star in emphatic Indian victory over South Africa Pacers Arshdeep Singh bowled a dream first spell and found an ally in equally menacing Avesh Khan as a second-string Indian team completely annihilated South Africa by eight wickets in the opening ODI in Johannesburg on December 17. India now lead the three-match series 1-0. Having gone into the match without a single wicket in his previous three ODI appearances, Arshdeep more than made up for it with his maiden five-wicket haul as South Africa were all-out for 116 in 27.3 overs. The target was surpassed in only 16.4 overs. Assembly election debacle | Congress Working Committee to meet on December 21 Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on December 21, a source said on December 17. The party’s highest decision-making body will convene just days after the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance parties meet in Delhi on December 19 to carry forward their discussion on putting up a united front against the BJP. The CWC will deliberate on the reasons for the debacle as the Congress had hoped to wrest Madhya Pradesh from the BJP and retain Chhattisgarh, where it suffered a shock defeat. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 17 December 2023 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Nine killed in blast in explosives manufacturing company in Nagpur [At least nine persons, including six women, were killed and three others seriously injured when a powerful blast]( ripped through an explosives manufacturing factory in the rural part of Nagpur district in Maharashtra on December 17. According to police authorities, the blast took place at 9 a.m. in a cast booster unit of Solar Industries India Ltd. at Bazaargaon, around 60 km away from Nagpur. Twelve labourers were said to be present when the explosion occurred. The injured are said to be in a critical condition and the death toll could rise further, said informed sources. Company officials said the accident occurred in the building where boosters used in coal mines were produced. Locals said the tremors of the blast could be felt in nearby villages. “The incident took place during a sieving operation [the explosive raw material is sieved before use] in a building where boosters for use in coal mines are made. Prima facie, nine persons have died following the explosion. The situation is under control. No labourer was currently in the building,” said a senior company official. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the site and said his government had announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. “This is an extremely unfortunate and tragic accident. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has already announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for each of the kin of the deceased. We are thoroughly probing the cause of the accident,” he said. Expressing his grief over the accident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the district administration and the police to follow up the case and provide immediate succour to the victims, particularly in the provision of timely and quality treatment to the injured. A mob of irate labourers converged near the company gate soon after the explosion, demanding explanation from the company management regarding the fate of the deceased. Several complained about overwork, while some labourers said they were recalled to duty after the completion of their shift on the occasion. The police later cordoned off the area. Parliament breach | Police recover pieces of burnt phone, charges of evidence destruction to be added [Four days after Parliament’s security was breached, the Delhi Police recovered fragments of some broken and burnt mobile phones from Rajasthan’s Nagaur]( an official said on December 17. An officer privy to the investigations said a few pieces of mobile phones have been recovered on December 16 on the instance of Lalit Jha, who was among six arrested by the police in connection to the case. A team of Delhi Police’s Special Cell on December 17 took Jha to Rajasthan’s Nagaur where he stayed with the help of accused Mahesh Kumawat, officials said. Sources said that the Delhi Police decided to add more IPC sections, including Section 201 (destruction of evidence/disappearance of evidence) in the FIR registered on December 13. Police have filed terrorism charges under the stringent UAPA against the accused. Police officials said Jha and Kumawat intentionally destroyed the mobile phones to hide technical evidence related to the case. The Delhi Police have arrested six people so far, Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D, Amol Shinde, Neelam Devi, Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat, for their alleged involvement in the case. Two men — Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D — had jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow smoke from canisters and shouted slogans, before being overpowered by the MPs. Around the same time, two others — Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi — released coloured smoke from canisters while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi” outside the Parliament premises. Jha, who was present outside the gate, had recorded the act on his mobile phone. After uploading it on social media and sharing it with his friends, he went to Nagaur in Rajasthan. Kumawat and accused Kailash, who are cousins, allegedly arranged his stay there. Later Jha and Kumawat came to Delhi and surrendered to the police. Parliament security breach serious issue, there should be no squabbling over it: PM Modi [Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the seriousness of the security breach in Parliament cannot be underestimated, and called for no squabbling over the issue]( amid Opposition’s protests over it in Parliament. In an interview to Hindi daily ‘Dainik Jagran’, Modi said probe agencies are investigating the incident and taking stringent measures, noting that it is equally necessary to go to the root of people behind it and their motives. The newspaper said he described the breach as “painful and a matter of concern”. “Efforts should also be made to look for a solution with collective spirit. Everyone should avoid squabbling over such an issue,” he said. “The gravity of the incident which happened in Parliament should not be underestimated,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the Speaker has also been taking necessary steps with all seriousness. The government has insisted that the security in Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and it has been following the Speaker’s directives. It has also cited numerous such violations in the past, accusing the opposition of politicising the issue. Meanwhile, the [Congress accused Modi of running away from a debate on the security breach in Parliament]( and said the reason for it is that questions will be raised on the role of the Mysuru BJP MP in facilitating the entry of those who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “The Prime Minister has finally broken his silence on the extraordinary events in the Lok Sabha on December 13th. He says probe is needed and not debate and that such a probe is on.” “All that INDIA parties are asking for and will continue to press for is a statement by the Home Minister on what happened on December 13th and how exactly it happened,” Ramesh said. “The PM is running away from a debate for a very simple reason. Questions will be raised on the role of the Mysuru BJP MP Pratap Simha in facilitating the entry of the intruders into the Lok Sabha on December 13th,” he said. ‘Look beyond the binary of public and private spaces to battle discrimination in terms of gender, disability and caste’: CJI [“Courts have recognised that a seemingly neutral law might be a tool of oppression to a particular group. To truly achieve substantive equality, the impact of its provisions must be understood in the context of social realities,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said during a lecture in Bengaluru on December 17.]( Delivering ‘The Inaugural Justice E. S. Venkataramiah Centennial Memorial Lecture’ organised by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) on the topic of ‘Constitutional imperatives of the State navigating discrimination in public and private spaces’, he stressed the need for law to look beyond the binary of public and private spaces to battle discrimination in terms of gender, disability and caste. “Overcoming socially ascribed roles necessitates transcending artificial public-private dichotomies. Addressing power imbalances has become an imperative of our time. Our laws are powerful tools in opening our public spaces as well as curbing private discrimination,” he said. “To truly overcome stereotypical roles, the law and policy should transcend the public - private dichotomy and address power imbalances regardless of the locations. This requires a comprehensive approach which considers societal context, historical perspectives and the jurisprudence of discrimination law. By doing so, we pave the way for a society where equality is not a mere slogan, but a lived reality for all our members. The legal landscape must evolve weaving a tapestry that accommodates differences, eradicates biases and ensures substantive equality,” he added. He also elaborated on the need to make courts across the country disabled friendly, as an example of this push. “The Supreme Court’s State of the Judiciary report indicated that only 30.4% of district court complexes have washrooms for persons with disabilities and other infrastructural facilities. In preparing for a day at the court, rather than sharpening their arguments and submissions, a lawyer or a litigator is forced to account for parking arrangements and spot washroom facilities inside the court complex,” said. He also lauded the judiciary in Karnataka for having the highest number of employees of persons with disabilities, particularly among their staff. He said disability was often viewed as a barrier which denies opportunities to the differently abled, due to societal biases. He added that individuals with disabilities often encountered doubts about their capabilities after receiving opportunities due to ingrained ableism. He also said technology played a key role in shaping inclusive spaces and how it acts as a democratising force which ensures that access to information and legal processes is no longer a privilege, but a right. The CJI said that based on the recommendations of an audit performed by the Supreme Court Committee of Accessibility, the apex court was currently in the process of introducing accessible routes, dedicated parking spaces along with the establishment of dedicated sections, mediations protocols and enhanced facilities like accessible restrooms and lactation rooms, among other things. He also said that recently, a hearing-impaired lawyer, Sarah Sunny, was allowed to argue a case virtually with the assistance of a sign language interpreter in the court. Growth rate at 6%, India will remain lower middle economy by 2047, says Raghuram Rajan Former Reserve Bank Governor [Raghuram Rajan said India will still remain a lower middle country if the potential growth rate remains at 6% annually without any rise in population by 2047]( (Amrit Kaal) and will be reaching the end of the demographic dividend by then. Speaking at a programme organised by Manthan in Hyderabad, he said if the country does not grow faster, it will grow older (demographically) before it gets richer, which means there is the burden of an ageing population also to deal with at that point. Rajan said the GDP growth in India for the past two quarters was in the region of 7.5% and if one looks at the labour force participation, it is very low and when it comes to female participation, “it is the lowest in the G20”. “India’s growth potential is today about 6% a year, GDP growth. If you do the math, at 6% a year, you double every 12 years and therefore in 24 years, we’ll be four times our per capita income. Today, the per capita income in India, as you know, is just a little below $2,500 per person. Multiply by four, we get $10,000 per person…So if you do the math, at our current rate of growth, you know, strong as it is highest in the G20, we don’t get rich but we stay lower middle income till 2047,” he said. The former RBI chief said some southern States are growing with regards to population at below reproduction rate, in other words, the fertility rate has fallen below reproduction rate thus slowing the growth. “In other words, we will start the process of aging at some point around that time, which leads to the alarming question if we don’t grow faster, we will grow old before we grow rich, which means we all have all the burdens of an aging population to deal with also at that point,” he opined. Rajan said some of the developed nations moved from manufacturing to services as part of moving up the value chain after they became richer. Those countries are largely services economies with 70% of the workforce in rich countries, typically in the service industry and 20% in manufacturing, 5% each in construction and agriculture, he noted. Rajya Sabha panel pulls up Union government for delay in framing rules for Acts passed by the Parliament [The Subordinate Legislation Committee of Rajya Sabha, headed by BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpayee, has pulled up the Union government for the delay in framing of rules/regulations for the Acts passed by Parliament.]( The panel said in a report submitted recently in the Upper House that it has become a recurring phenomenon for the Union Ministries to delay the framing of rules. The Committee also noted with concern that the Ministries deal with the framing of rules/regulations in a very casual manner, and no serious effort was made to complete the exercise within the time limit. The mandate of the Subordinate Legislation Committee is to scrutinise and report to the Rajya Sabha whether the delegated powers to make Rules, Regulations, Bye-laws, Schemes and other statutory instruments, given to the Executive by the Parliament, is being properly exercised. “However, the Committee noticed that despite the time limit prescribed for completion of framing of subordinate legislation and the several observations and recommendations of the Committee on the matter, various Acts are still pending since many years in various Ministries,” Bajpayee said in the report. On the National Food Security Act of 2013, the report said even after the Act came into force about ten years ago, the Rule-making process had been stuck up, especially on the part of State Governments. Similarly, on the rules of Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, the panel said four years had lapsed without any progress when so much importance was being given to Ease of Doing Business in India, which could adversely affect the confidence in the international business community that may like to invest in the country. On the delay in framing the rules of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) Act, 2006, the panel expressed dismay and concern over the pace at which the Petroleum Ministry was working on framing the rules. Pulling up the Department of Higher Education, it said subordinate legislations of the Sikkim University Act, 2006; the Tripura University Act, 2006; the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act, 2007; and the Central University Act, 2009 have not been tabled yet. On the rules of the Wakf Act, 2013, the panel feared that the State governments were delaying the process of framing of subordinate legislations and this might have caused delay in reaching the benefits to the eligible persons. The panel also asked the Union AYUSH Ministry to take all the steps to complete the framing of subordinate legislations under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020; the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020; and the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Act, 2020. In Brief: SA vs IND, 1st ODI | Arshdeep, Avesh star in emphatic Indian victory over South Africa [Pacers Arshdeep Singh bowled a dream first spell and found an ally in equally menacing Avesh Khan as a second-string Indian team completely annihilated South Africa by eight wickets in the opening ODI]( in Johannesburg on December 17. India now lead the three-match series 1-0. Having gone into the match without a single wicket in his previous three ODI appearances, Arshdeep more than made up for it with his maiden five-wicket haul as South Africa were all-out for 116 in 27.3 overs. The target was surpassed in only 16.4 overs. Assembly election debacle | Congress Working Committee to meet on December 21 [Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on December 21, a source said]( on December 17. The party’s highest decision-making body will convene just days after the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance parties meet in Delhi on December 19 to carry forward their discussion on putting up a united front against the BJP. The CWC will deliberate on the reasons for the debacle as the Congress had hoped to wrest Madhya Pradesh from the BJP and retain Chhattisgarh, where it suffered a shock defeat. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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