Congress slams PM’s statement in Rajya Sabha on Mideast crisis

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Rajya Sabha on the West Asia crisis as “an exercise in obfuscation” and said it has come “too late” and raises more questions than answers.

Kharge also slammed Modi for his COVID-19 reference in his statement in the Upper House, asking “is the prime minister now suggesting that 140 crore Indians must once again fend for themselves as the country stares at an escalating energy crisis”.

In a post on X, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha said, “The 20-minute statement by Prime Minister Modi in the Rajya Sabha was, at best, an exercise in obfuscation.”

Kharge posed three “fundamental” questions to the prime minister and demanded clear answers. “First, through his inconsistent and swinging diplomatic posture, the Prime Minister appears to have altered the balance of India’s strategic autonomy; long a cornerstone of our foreign policy across successive governments. Following his recent visit to Israel, India has faced visible diplomatic consequences.

“Why did the Prime Minister fail to take Parliament and the nation into confidence about this apparent shift, and what concrete steps have been taken to restore India’s strategic autonomy?” he asked.

The Congress chief said nearly 37-40 Indian-flagged ships carrying around 1,100 sailors remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, with cargo valued at approximately Rs 10,000 crore.

“Despite the Prime Minister personally speaking to the Iranian President twice, and the External Affairs Minister engaging multiple times with his Iranian counterpart, why has India failed to secure safe passage for its own vessels? Why are countries like China Russia, Japan, along with other ‘friendly nations’, being granted safe transit, while Indian ships remain stuck?” he asked.

Kharge said the prime minister has claimed in Parliament that India has diversified its energy imports from 27 to 41 countries.

“If so, which countries are currently supplying LNG, LPG, and crude oil to India, and in what quantities? More importantly, if diversification has been achieved, why are citizens still facing shortages, long queues, black marketing, and sharp price rises across the country?” he questioned.