New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Congress on Monday suggested that India lead peace talks in West Asia, and also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inform citizens about the steps being taken to tackle LPG shortage and rising inflation in the country.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Prime Minister Modi should have spoken earlier.
“We don’t have any expectations. I want to hear what he has to say. There are many issues. The fallout of the war on our country is huge… LPG and many other issues. He should have spoken much earlier,” she told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi on Monday afternoon addressed the Lok Sabha on the West Asia crisis, and termed the prevailing situation “worrisome” as it is having a very adverse impact on the global economy and the livelihoods of people.
Earlier, Congress MP Rajiv Shukla said the party expects efforts towards ending the conflict.
“The war is directly harming India. It must stop. We are facing a shortage of cooking gas, while diesel prices may also increase… It has already gone up by Rs 21.
“Our foreign policy was neutral earlier. We were not aligned with anyone, so everyone stood with us. Now, by moving closer to Israel, that balance seems to have been affected. We should maintain good relations with all countries, including Iran, as we did earlier.
“Also, cylinders were provided to households under the Ujjwala scheme, but today many of them are lying empty. What is the benefit of the scheme? People are left with no option but to return to ‘chulhas’, as gas is not available,” Shukla said.
Congress MP Tariq Anwar said the prime minister should have addressed the issue earlier.
“After a long time, the prime minister has realised this issue and is addressing the Parliament, but he should have taken this step much earlier. There are high expectations from India, both from within and outside, especially since we call ourselves a neutral country and say we are not part of any bloc.
“Our country’s foreign policy is clear. According to that policy, whatever is happening there (West Asia) should be condemned, and efforts should be made to find a middle path,” Anwar said.
On Sunday evening, Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the situation arising out of the West Asia conflict, and make a detailed assessment on the availability of critical items, including food, energy and fuel.
Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh said the government must explain the outcome of the high-level meeting and reassure the people of the country.
“Look, while the meeting did take place, people do not know what its outcome was. Parliament is in session – he (Modi) should reassure the people as to how, in the coming days, relief will be provided from the LPG crisis and rising inflation. The government must answer,” Singh told reporters.
Congress whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, criticised Modi for the “delay” in addressing the issue.
“After 14 days of silence and after 14 days of election campaign in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Bengal and Assam, the prime minister has found time to speak about the energy crisis now.
“There is no clear-cut plan. By this time, the LPG shortage has increased. The commercial price of LPG has gone up by 40 per cent. Airfares are going to increase. What was the outcome of the (CCS) meeting? Only tea, biscuits and discussions,” Tagore said.
Congress MP Manish Tiwari warned that the escalating hostilities in West Asia could disrupt global supply chains and impact essential commodities.
“There has been an escalation since Sunday to an unprecedented level. Iranians have ostensibly attempted to hit the Israeli nuclear research reactor. President (Donald) Trump has issued a warning which is going to expire this evening. So, the conflict has perhaps entered its most dangerous phase,” Tiwari said.
The Chandigarh MP also claimed that around 3,000 ships are currently idling in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, indicating a major disruption in maritime movement.
“There is a need to give diplomacy a chance. For the consumers, the criticality of the situation only gets more dire every moment because it is not only about crude oil, but also about fertiliser, food, pharmaceuticals and essential life-saving drugs,” he said.
“So, there is a whole supply chain which has been disrupted. We have entered a very sensitive phase in this conflict after three weeks of hostilities,” he added.
Chairing the CCS meeting on Sunday, Modi directed that a group of ministers and secretaries be created to work dedicatedly in a whole-of-government approach to deal with the effects of the West Asia conflict, an official statement said.
The prime minister said the conflict is an evolving situation and the entire world is affected in some form. In such a situation, he said, all efforts must be made to safeguard the citizens from its impact.
Modi also said that all arms of the government should work together to ensure that the least inconvenience is caused to the citizens. PTI ADI ARI
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