Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday expressed grief over the deaths of six people in a helicopter crash near Chai village close to Joshimath in Uttarakhand, while on its way from Badrinath to Sahastradhara.

The victims include the pilot of the helicopter.

Taking to X, the Congress leader said: “The news of the death of six people in the helicopter crash in Joshimath, Uttarakhand, is deeply saddening.”

“May God grant peace to the departed souls. My heartfelt condolences are with the bereaved families. May the Almighty give them the strength to bear this immense loss,” she added.

Earlier in the day, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat also condoled the loss of life in the incident, while seeking an inquiry into the repeated aviation disasters that have rocked the state in recent times.

Speaking to reporters in Dehradun, Rawat said: “This is deeply painful…Along with making our helicopter services competitive, we also need to make them safe and secure. An inquiry will be conducted and improvements will be made based on the probe but this is extremely necessary because one after another, such incidents are happening which are alarming.”

Meanwhile, the bodies of all six individuals, including the pilot, have been recovered from the crash site by joint teams of the Uttarakhand Police, the State Disaster Response Force, and the Army, which swung into action for rescue and recovery operations after receiving the news of the accident.

The operation to transport all the bodies from the difficult-to-access crash site to a location connected by road was underway, officials said.

The pilot of the helicopter was identified as Capt. Himanshu Sabharwal, who hailed from Delhi, while the passengers were Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K., and H.S. Natraja, all from Karnataka, police said.

According to official information, Gowda was an advocate, while Nataraja ran a poultry business in Karnataka’s Huliyurdurga.

There were no women or children on board the helicopter, officials said.

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday sounded the BJP’s poll bugle in Uttar Pradesh, expressing confidence that the party would return to power with a thumping majority for a third consecutive term.

Addressing the newly constituted Uttar Pradesh BJP State Executive Committee in Lucknow, Shah urged party workers to focus single-mindedly on victory, projecting the meeting as a crucial organisational exercise ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

With the political battle for Uttar Pradesh gathering momentum, the Home Minister sought to energise the party cadre, highlight the achievements of the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state, and sharpen the party’s political attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress.

Drawing an analogy from the Mahabharata, he told workers that, like Arjuna, they should focus only on the bird’s-eye view — the BJP’s return to power for a third consecutive term.

Describing the Yogi Adityanath-led government as firmly entrenched, Shah said the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was like Angad’s foot, which nobody could move.

He asserted that the party was poised to secure another overwhelming mandate and urged workers to remain united and committed to the electoral objective.

Targeting the Samajwadi Party over the 1990 firing on Ram devotees, Shah recalled the events of October 30, 1990, alleging that the then SP government had ordered indiscriminate firing on kar sevaks and that their bodies were subsequently disposed of in the Saryu River.

Contrasting the incident with the BJP’s role in facilitating the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he said the people of Uttar Pradesh would never forgive the SP for the incident.

On the BJP’s national political position, Shah highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s achievement of becoming the longest-serving elected Prime Minister, while underlining the party’s growth from just two parliamentary seats to becoming the world’s largest political organisation.

He also pointed to the BJP’s third consecutive victory at the Centre and NDA governments in 22 states.

Aiming at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shah accused the Opposition of blaming electoral institutions instead of improving its political performance.

He said the BJP was ready for a parliamentary discussion on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and challenged Gandhi to participate in a special session of Parliament.

Shah also asserted that the BJP was on course to remain in power nationally for the next 30 years, citing the party’s electoral performances in Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi and Assam.

He questioned the electoral record of the Opposition leadership and said the BJP is ready to repeat its electoral success in Uttar Pradesh.

Highlighting the Yogi government’s law-and-order record and economic achievements, Shah said incidents of robbery, dacoity, extortion and communal riots have declined significantly since Adityanath became Chief Minister.

He said improved law and order had transformed Uttar Pradesh into an attractive investment destination.

Recalling that investment summits once had to be organised in Delhi because of the state’s poor law-and-order situation, Shah said they were now being held in Lucknow, with investments worth lakhs of crores of rupees being attracted to the state.

He added that improved investment prospects had generated employment opportunities and helped check migration. Uttar Pradesh, he said, accounted for nearly seven per cent of India’s electronic components exports, while investments worth Rs 35,000 crore had come into the state’s Defence Corridor.

The Home Minister further claimed that the BJP government’s development work over the last decade was approximately 200 per cent greater than the combined work undertaken during the SP and BSP regimes.

He credited PM Modi for providing resources to Uttar Pradesh and Adityanath for ensuring their effective implementation on the ground.

On the ideological and legislative front, Shah promised that a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in Uttar Pradesh if the BJP returned to power. Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 and the abolition of triple talaq, he said several states had already implemented the UCC.

He also reiterated the BJP government’s commitment to eliminating Naxalism and said the country would be completely free of drugs by December 31, 2029.

Shah described the BJP as a party of workers rather than leaders, asserting that its electoral victories were built on the dedication of its grassroots organisation.

He said India’s development was inseparable from Uttar Pradesh’s progress and called on workers to dedicate themselves to the vision of a developed India.

The meeting, inaugurated by HM Amit Shah with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Auditorium of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, was attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and several senior party leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday watched a theatrical adaptation of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s ‘Anand Math’ at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat’s Narmada district, as part of the cultural programme organised on the eve of the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Titled ‘Anand Math: Maa Ne Phir Bulaya Ha’, the production was staged by the National School of Drama (NSD) and featured around 300 artistes on a 100 ft by 100 ft stage.

The performance ran for approximately 90 minutes and presented a contemporary interpretation of the 1882 novel, which includes ‘Vande Mataram’, India’s national song.

The production brought to the stage the novel’s themes of devotion to the motherland, sacrifice, patriotism and national consciousness.

It sought to connect the literary work’s legacy with contemporary India, highlighting the responsibility of citizens to contribute to the country’s future while remaining connected with their cultural heritage.

The performance is part of the two-day Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar, home to the Statue of Unity.

This year’s cultural programme has a special significance as 2026 marks 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, which first appeared in ‘Anand Math’.

The Prime Minister’s evening programme also included Ekta Prakash Parv, an illumination festival celebrating India’s unity, diversity, cultural heritage and progress, followed by the Narmada Aarti at around 8:15 p.m.

Ekta Prakash Parv features two major attractions. The 530-metre illuminated stretch along Valley of Flowers Road carries the theme ‘From Ancient India to Modern India’ and showcases aspects of the country’s civilisation, national identity, women’s empowerment, security forces, technology and yoga.

A 180-metre Glow Tunnel, themed ‘Unity in India’s Diversity’, offers a walkthrough display of the cultures, architecture, folk dances, handicrafts and lifestyles of the country’s four regions.

More than 1.5 crore LED lights have been used for the illumination, with artworks created by artists from different parts of the country.

Earlier on Friday, PM Modi inaugurated ‘Bharat Parv 2026’ at Ekta Nagar. The festival, which will continue until November 15, provides a platform for states and Union Territories to showcase their distinctive traditions, folk performances, regional cuisines, handicrafts and tourist attractions.

It is being organised as a celebration of India’s cultural heritage and national unity under the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’. The Prime Minister is in Gujarat for a two-day visit on October 30 and 31.

On Saturday, he will pay floral tributes at the Statue of Unity before inaugurating and laying the foundation stones for tourism and infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 426 crore in Ekta Nagar.

The projects include an IRCTC hotel, an Ekta Cruise, a Rain Forest attraction, an Eco Trail, sewage and water treatment facilities, travelators and improvements to visitor amenities.

He will also visit the Rain Forest and Vaman Vriksha Vatika before participating in the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations.