Kieron Rijiju The opposition parties assured full support to the government after an all-party meeting on the Middle East crisis, it said on Wednesday, adding that ministers had answered all questions on Iran, Israel, the fallout of the US conflict and its impact on India.After the meeting in New Delhi, Rijiju said the government had convened the discussion to inform political parties on the evolving situation in the Middle East and the steps being taken to protect India’s interests. “All opposition parties have assured us that they will stand with the government and support all measures taken by the government in light of the situation,” Rijiju said, according to news agency ANI.He said the meeting was attended and actively participated by representatives from across the political spectrum, with leaders expressing concerns about how a conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States might impact India, particularly its citizens, energy supplies and broader national interests. Rijiju said the government had responded to the inquiries “fully and thoroughly”, adding that he was “satisfied” that all questions raised by the opposition parties had been answered.
Government says concerns over fuel supplies have been addressed
Rijiju said some members were specifically seeking details on gas and oil supplies passing through the region. Strait of HormuzIt is a key bottleneck in current regional conflicts. He said opposition leaders were informed that “India has acquired four vessels” and were satisfied with the government’s efforts to secure supplies.“From the government’s side, all the questions and all the confusion, whatever there was, the government gave a clear explanation,” Rigiju said. He also said the opposition thanked the government for convening the meeting and said all parties needed to stand together in a difficult situation.The minister linked the outcome of the meeting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for political unity in Parliament to deal with the crisis. Rijiju said the opposition showed its “maturity” by saying at the end of the meeting that it would support the government’s measures in the national interest.
TMC skips meeting; some dissident voices remain critical
Rijiju said the meeting was attended by all major political parties except the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which, according to him, refused despite making demands twice. “Only the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is a party that is not participating,” he said, adding that TMC leaders mentioned travel commitments.However, not all dissenters appeared completely satisfied after the briefing. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said his party was concerned about panic over LPG supplies and long queues for gas cylinders. The government responded by saying that India produces 60% of its LPG domestically and has oil reserves, he said, adding that there would be no shortage of gas.Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Tariq Anwar called the meeting “unsatisfactory” and reiterated the opposition’s demand for a full debate in both houses of parliament under specific rules. He said it was not enough to say India did not want a war when a conflict had already occurred.
High-level meeting held as war in the Middle East expands
The all-party meeting was chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri and External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri.The meeting comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha earlier this week that the government’s top priority is to protect Indians at home and abroad during war. He said more than 375,000 Indians, including more than 1,000 from Iran, had been brought back since the conflict began, while warning that the fighting had triggered a severe global energy crisis and raised concerns about ships carrying Indian crews stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.
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