Opposition MPs question MEA over government stance on Iran war

New Delhi: Opposition lawmakers on Wednesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel days before joining the US in attacking Iran and the government’s “silence” on the killing of the Islamic State’s top leader during a parliamentary committee meeting when the Ministry of External Affairs briefed a panel on safety and security of the Indian diaspora in West Asia.While several members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by Congress’s Shashi Tharoor, questioned India’s diplomatic choices and wondered whether India had changed its traditional stance on West Asia, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said it would respond to their queries in writing later, people familiar with the matter said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is responsible for briefing the committee, was unable to attend the meeting.

Tharoor told reporters that apart from oil and gas supplies, every parliamentarian has questions and concerns about the overall situation, the impact and the safety and security of Indians. He added: “We got some answers but not all the answers because the foreign secretary was not here.”He said about 9,000 Indians remained in Iran, but noted that not all wanted to leave. He said it was fairly easy to travel commercially into and out of the Gulf countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.Tharoor said questions had been raised about Modi’s visit to Israel but declined to reveal details of discussions within the committee. “Members of Congress naturally raise every issue that comes to their mind,” he said.