Defense minister says country has no shortage of fuel or gas as navy escorts oil tanker from Strait of Hormuz

Rajnath Singh “There is no shortage of fuel or gas in the country,” India said on Thursday as it prepared to deal with the energy crisis caused by the ongoing West Asian conflict.In the first official confirmation of a TOI report, indian navy “Our navy is safely escorting Indian oil tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for maritime trade during the Gulf conflict,” Rajnath announced after launching Operation Urjasurakshah to provide security for India-bound cargo ships in the conflict zone.Addressing the Sainik Samman Sammelan conference in Kerala, the minister further said, “Prime Minister Modi is using his diplomatic skills to protect India’s interests in the Gulf”. “We are closely monitoring the situation in West Asia and are ready to deal with any situation,” Rajnath said. The minister said that instead of standing firmly with the country in times of crisis, the opposition parties indulged in “petty politics”.Addressing the launch ceremony of the second edition of IOS SAGAR in Mumbai, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said: “Maritime competition is no longer limited to oil and energy. Competition is now extending to resources that will shape future growth, such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data.“As a result, there has been a significant increase in marine surveys, deep-sea research activities and illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), often violating the sovereignty of littoral states and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement,” the naval chief said.