PM Modi says government is sparing no efforts to reduce impact of war on citizens, opposition spreads fear

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over the impact of the Iran war on India’s energy supplies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his government is leaving no stone unturned to minimize its impact on citizens and accused the opposition parties of fear-mongering to push their agenda at the expense of the country.He said that no country is immune to this global crisis and India is working hard to deal with it at different levels, including trying to avoid supply chain disruptions. He stated at the NXT Summit that he has spoken to global leaders.On the same day, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi targeted the government over the “LPG crisis” in the House. Modi hit back without naming anyone and said everyone, including political parties, should play a role in ensuring that the country successfully responds to the crisis.“There are people who are trying to spread fear. They want to push their own agenda. I don’t want to make any political reaction right now, but will say they are doing great harm to the country by exposing themselves in front of people,” he said. He emphasized that India must be able to cope with the challenges brought about by the war.He listed a series of measures taken by the Indian government since 2014 to build India’s alternative energy sources, reduce dependence on oil, increase oil storage capacity, while ensuring that more and more people benefit from it.India’s storage capacity to deal with any crisis used to be negligible but now stands at 5 million tonnes while it has become one of the largest refining hubs in the world. People’s aspirations have risen and his government welcomes them, he added before turning to critics.“Many of my ‘well-wishers’ hoped that I would be crushed by the weight of expectations…their intentions were dishonest and their hopes would never come true,” he said, adding that he had received people’s blessings. He asked states to take strict action against rumor mongers and black marketeers.He said India will emerge from the crisis as successfully as it did during the coronavirus pandemic and described the current times as unprecedented.He compared the rise of India’s economy to people’s enduring interest in cricket, saying they were now eager to be kept informed of the latest details. “If you want to be part of the future, you have to be in India,” he said. “Despite numerous global challenges, the world still has hope for India,” he said.