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‘Need leadership, not cowardice’: Oppn demands West Asia discussion to ask questions, while Jaishankar gives a speech
Saying ‘Gulf burning, oil shock. Indians stranded. India needs leadership — not silence’, INDIA bloc MPs led by Rahul, Kharge protest inside, outside Parliament
After a protest inside both Houses of Parliament when foreign minister S Jaishankar spoke on Monday, Congress-led Opposition MPs later gathered outside and raised slogans to seek a full discussion on the US-Iran conflict widening to West Asia.
Holding a large banner reading “Gulf burning, oil shock. Indians stranded. India needs leadership — not silence”, the protesting MPs included both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively.
Live updates here: Parliament proceedings today
Many held up placards in Hindi and English that sought “leadership, not cowardice” — echoing the Congress allegations against PM Narendra Modi's foreign policy choices, including a visit to Israel visit just before the conflict broke out as US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Rahul Gandhi said, "They (BJP-led government) do not want a discussion because other things will come out of that; because PM's position will come out of it. How he is compromised and how he is being blackmailed will come up."
Congress MP KC Venugopal said India is significantly impacted by the West Asia crisis, citing the rising LPG prices as a direct example. "We are demanding a discussion on the crisis. We are very firm on that. India is going to be affected in a very big way. An energy crisis is happening everywhere. Fuel prices are rising day by day. People are in distress. The government will have to come for a discussion. There are precedents in this House itself when such discussions have taken place," Venugopal told reporters outside the House.
Also read | What Jaishankar said in Parliament on West Asia crisis
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram sharply criticised the US and Israel's actions. “This unprovoked attack by the United States on a sovereign nation is highly condemnable... And most importantly, innocent people are being killed,” he said, “Whatever the differences, whatever might be the security concerns, they must be sorted out through discussions, not through war.”
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh justified the walk-out by the opposition benches saying, "As expected the External Affairs Minister made a suo moto statement on the situation in the Rajya Sabha on which no questions can be asked or clarifications sought. The entire Opposition wanted an immediate discussion on the West Asian situation. This was denied and hence the Opposition walkout after protests."
Earlier, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 3 pm amid noisy protests over demand for a discussion or debate in which questions can be asked, and not a one-sided readout . The BJP-led NDA government, however, accused the opposition benches of not following basic ethics of the House during the speech by Jaishankar.
The foreign minister made his statement first in the Rajya Sabha, of which he is a member, and then in the Lok Sabha; and faced protests in both.
In the Lok Sabha, as soon as Jaishankar rose to make his “suo moto statement” on the subject "situation in West Asia", Opposition members started raising slogans against the government and demanded a full-fledged discussion instead of just a speech.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal — who was chairing the proceedings as speaker Om Birla has chosen to stay away pending a no-confidence motion against him — said questions being raised by the Opposition on their placards were being “elaborately answered” by the government.
He also noted that while a resolution related to the motion against Om Birla was already on the agenda, yet the Opposition was pushing for a notice for adjournment of all other proceedings to discuss West Asia.
He asked how the opposition wants to discuss the two issues on the same day. "If you are not satisfied with the statement, please approach the Business Advisory Committee to seek a discussion on the subject," Pal said.
After Jaishankar completed his statement, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition of not following ethics of the House. Pal then said the no-confidence resolution would be taken up when the House is in order.
As the protesting MPs refused to relent — at one point they moved into the well of the house — Pal adjourned the proceedings till 3 pm.
After this, the INDIA bloc MPs protested at the Makar Dwar of Parliament.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh justified the walk-out by the opposition benches saying, "As expected, the external affairs minister made a ‘suo moto statement’ on the situation in the Rajya Sabha on which no questions can be asked or clarifications sought. The entire Opposition wanted an immediate discussion on the West Asian situation. This was denied and hence the Opposition walkout after protests."
In his statement, Jaishankar stated, among other things, that “Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) continues to closely monitor the emerging developments, and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure effective responses”.
Jaishankar said the government had acted pre-emptively for its citizens in the region. "Our government had issued a statement on 20th February expressing deep concerns and urging all sides to exercise restraint. We continue to believe that dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to de-escalate the tensions," he further said.
Kharge demanded a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on India's energy security amid the West Asia conflict. Noting the hike in cooking gas prices, Kharge said that the conflict has impacted India's energy security and image of the country. "The conflict is not limited to West Asia; it has now impacted India's energy security and image of the country. The result of this conflict will also impact our economic stability," Kharge said.
The government had said on March 6 that there's enough for the country's needs: “India has 250+ million barrels of crude and fuel stocks, with a 7–8 week supply buffer across reserves and supply systems.”
Ahead of Jaishankar's scheduled statement, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also demanded a comprehensive discussion instead.
"Oil has gone above $100 a barrel this morning. Gas is being completely stopped from coming out of Qatar. Our factories do not have gas coming into India right now from that side. We can get from the East. So we'll try and get some supplies, but we are certainly suffering. Prices are going up. LPG prices went up by 60 rupees just the day before yesterday. And of course, petrol is going to cost more. So all of this is going to be a real problem for our country. And therefore, we need to have a very responsible approach and proactive approach from the government," Tharoor told reporters.
The development comes in the wake of the war, which erupted on February 28 after joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several core members of the ruling group. The situation has since escalated, with fresh attacks reported over the weekend on oil depots and water desalination plants.
Earlier in the day, some suspended MPs also protested on the Parliament premises, carrying a banner that read, "Silencing the opposition is equal to killing democracy."
