According to sources, defence minister Rajnath Singh will chair the all-party meeting. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar is also expected to be present.
New Delhi:The Union government has convened an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis at 5 pm on Wednesday. The call for an all-party meeting by the government comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday on India’s response and preparation to mitigate the impact of the West Asia war. The Opposition, led by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, sharpened the attack on the Modi government, saying that India's foreign policy has become a "universal joke".
According to sources, defence minister Rajnath Singh will chair the all-party meeting. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar is also expected to be present.
Criticising the Prime Minister for his Covid-19 reference in his statement to Parliament on the West Asia situation, the Lok Sabha LoP said that Modi has forgotten what had happened during the pandemic and the kind of tragedies that had unfolded back then.
The Congress leader alleged that India's foreign policy has become "Modi's personal foreign policy", which is being considered a "universal joke". Interacting with the media in the Parliament House complex, he said, "US President Donald Trump knows exactly what Modi can do and what Modi cannot do. If the PM is compromised, our foreign policy is compromised," he said.
"They have called an all-party meeting, but there should be a debate. You have made a structural mistake…you have destroyed the structure, and that cannot be corrected. The PM cannot do it… I can give it to you in writing that the PM will do what America and Israel say. He will not work in the interest of India and its farmers… He will do as America and Israel say," the Lok Sabha LoP said, adding that he will not be able to attend the all-party meeting as he is scheduled to attend a programme in Kerala.
In his statement in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the government has constituted seven empowered groups to evolve strategies on fuel, supply chains and fertilisers, among others, and stem the impact of the Iran-Israel-US conflict.
Stating that the war has created a serious energy crisis globally, Modi addressed concerns related to the impact on fuel, fertilisers, national security and other areas in India as well as on Indians residing in the West Asia region, detailing the steps taken by the government to ensure that "ordinary families face as little trouble as possible".
The Prime Minister assured that the government is trying to procure gas and crude oil from all available sources and warned people against taking advantage of the situation. He said a unanimous voice on this crisis should go out to the world from India's Parliament.
Reaffirming India's unwavering commitment to peace, the Prime Minister said dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path to resolution, and every Indian effort is directed at de-escalation and cessation of hostilities.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister said that West Asia is important to India, as nearly a crore of Indians live and work in the Gulf countries. Also, a high number of Indian crew members worked on commercial ships that sail in these seas.
"Due to these varied reasons, India's concerns are naturally greater. Therefore, it is essential that a unanimous and united voice from India's Parliament on this crisis reaches the world," the Prime Minister said.
