Congress MP Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday slammed external affairs minister S Jaishankar over his parliamentary statement on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, saying that reading a statement without allowing discussion was unfair to Members of Parliament.Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Tharoor said the issue was serious and should be debated in the House.”The issue before the party was that this is a matter of gravity and should be discussed in the House. The purpose of Parliament is to take up the issues that matter to India and to have a serious discussion. Just reading a statement, without any questions, our point of view is not fair to the members of the House.
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So, the party was agitating to have a discussion so we can ask questions about energy security, oil prices have gone high, and LPG prices were raised by the government,” he said, as quoted by ANI.He added that Parliament should be the forum to raise broader concerns related to international law and India’s interests.”There are larger questions of international law. Whatever those questions may be, Parliament is the right forum to ventilate them. We are not saying we are the government. They are the government, and they will do what they want to, but at least use Parliament to hear the views of a cross-section of the nation.”Congress MP K. C. Venugopal also supported the demand for a discussion, saying the situation in West Asia was not a partisan issue and that the government should take the Opposition into confidence.The remarks came after Jaishankar addressed both Houses of Parliament and said that PM Modi is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia.”The Prime Minister continues to closely monitor the emerging developments, and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure effective responses,” the EAM said.”This ongoing conflict is of particular concern to India. We are a neighbouring region, and have obvious stakes that West Asia remains stable. There are one crore Indians who live and work in the Gulf nations. In Iran, too, there are a few thousand Indians for study or employment. The region is key to our energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas. Serious supply chain disruptions and a climate of instability are serious issues,” he added.Jaishankar also said the government has issued formal advisories to Indian nationals in Iran and is maintaining communication with Indians across the Gulf.Addressing concerns over energy security amid disruptions to trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, he said the government is monitoring the energy markets while prioritising the interests of Indian consumers.”In view of the implications of this conflict for our energy security, the government remains committed to ensuring that it takes into account the availability, cost and risks of the energy markets. For us, the interest of the Indian consumer is and will always be the overriding priority,” he said.
