‘Happy India is taking initiative for peace’: Tharoor praises PM Modi for engaging with Iranian president, holding talks

New Delhi: Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were praised on Friday for engaging in dialogue with Iran. He also called for a “collective push” to end conflicts in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Tharoor welcomed India’s initiative and expressed hope that India would be a “constructive voice for peace.” Talking about the security of millions of Indians stranded in the Gulf countries, he added: “This seriously hurts us and will also harm the gas supply and energy security of other countries. The security of 9 million Indians in the Gulf countries and our relations are also at risk. It is in the interest of the world to work together to end this situation and we should take the lead on this issue.”Earlier, Thursday, Prime Minister Modi Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the continued U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the deteriorating security situation in West Asia. Tharoor also blasted the United States and Israel for launching attacks and accused Iran of attacking its neighbors. “In principle, both sides are at fault. Both the US and Israeli attacks were wrong. Any talk of provocation or pre-emptive self-defense is unjustifiable while negotiations are ongoing, and Iran clearly meets all demands. Likewise, on the other hand, Iran is also to blame for attacking non-combatants and harming innocent civilians. This shows the pointlessness of war and conflict.” As the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha, we know that peace and ahimsa have been the main traditions of India and that is what we should uphold,” he said.