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Govt calls all-party meet tomorrow to discuss Iran-US war, amid Oppn uproar
The development comes amid the Opposition's criticism of India's stand on the global tensions and of PM Modi's recent address in the Lok Sabha on the matter.
The government has called an all-party meet on Wednesday, March 25, to discuss the ongoing conflict across West Asia, caused by the war between Iran and the US. The development comes amid the Opposition's criticism of India's stand on the global tensions and of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent address in the Lok Sabha on the matter.
The all-party meeting will take place at 5 pm tomorrow in the Parliament complex, HT has learnt.
It also follows a review meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, in which he discussed the conflict with CDS General Anil Chauhan, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir Kamat, among others.
Follow live updates on the Iran-US war here.
PM Modi's Lok Sabha speech sparks Oppn ire
On Monday, PM Modi addressed the conflict in his Parliament address and assured the country that the government was relentlessly trying to minimise its impact. In his first address to the Parliament since the war broke out, PM Modi called the attacks on commercial ships and obstruction in the Strait of Hormuz “unacceptable” and addressed concerns related to the impact on fuel, fertilisers, and national security.
PM Modi said that India has been in touch with stakeholders in the conflict and has expressed deep concern over the developments. “As far as diplomacy is concerned, India’s standing has been very clear. From the beginning, we had expressed our deep concern on this conflict. I spoke to all leaders of West Asia and urged everyone to reduce tension and end this conflict. We have opposed attacks on people, transport and energy. Attacks on commercial ships and obstructions in Hormuz strait are unacceptable,” he said.
However, his speech was criticised by many Opposition leaders, who said that PM Modi failed to condemn the US-Israeli joint attack on Iran that sparked the global tensions. According to a PTI report, Congress called the prime minister's remarks "a master class in self-boasts, cowardice and partisan dialogue-baazi".
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed the remarks, saying the PM issued a delayed response. She criticised the "partisan" handling of the ongoing Middle East conflicts.
“Had the Prime Minister addressed the nation in the very 1st week, he could have explained the reasons behind his visit to Israel. He could have explained why, following the passing of Iran's Supreme Leader, it took us 3 full days to officially convey our condolences,” Priyanka Chaturvedi told news agency ANI.
Indian-flagged vessels and Hormuz blockade
In his speech, PM Modi acknowledged that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran-US war made the movement of crude oil, gas and fertilisers very challenging. However, he also said that the government has intensified efforts to ensure the adequate supply of LPG. "We are relentlessly trying to minimise the impact on India. The government is working on short, medium and long term strategies. Today the fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong,” he added.
While the blockade has affected the flow of crude, several Indian-flagged vessels have moved through the Strait of Hormuz despite the ongoing war. As reported by HT earlier, two LPG carriers from the UAE and one crude oil carrier from Saudi Arabia are headed towards Indian ports.
The MV Jag Vasant is likely to reach Kandla port on March 26 and MV Pine Gas is scheduled to reach New Mangalore on March 28, according to the shipping ministry.
