“You know better than me what is happening,” Rahul Gandhi told a crowd in Kerala, a state that sends a large number of workers to the Gulf region.
The conflict in West Asia was at the center of political speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday as they blamed the other for a domino effect on India.
Speaking in Gujarat’s Vav Tharad, PM Modi said India’s “effective” foreign policy and “steadfast unity” of citizens have kept the “situation under control” despite global difficulties related to oil and related energy requirements.
Addressing a public rally in his state after inaugurating development projects, Prime Minister Modi said: “The unfolding situation in West Asia has repercussions across the world. Difficulties related to energy requirements – especially diesel, petrol and gas – have escalated globally. However, even in the midst of such a crisis, India has succeeded in keeping the situation under control.”
He claimed that Congress wanted to escalate the conflict in West Asia so that they could “gain a political advantage.”
“The Congress is busy spreading fear and rumours. The Congress is actively inciting the public. Like political vultures, the Congress is waiting, hoping that problems will escalate so that it can exploit the situation for political gain,” the Prime Minister claimed, according to news agency ANI.
Earlier today, opposition leader and Congressman Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, which is witnessing early elections, warned that a “financial earthquake is coming.”
“You know better than me what is happening in the Middle East (West Asia),” he told the audience, where Kerala sends a large number of workers to the Gulf region.
“You know the drama that is unfolding there. There is a tragedy happening. No one knows where it will end, where it will go. The people of Kerala, the people of India will be directly affected. Fuel prices will rise, inflation will rise. And an earthquake, a financial earthquake, is coming,” he said.
He has questioned the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, as well as the Left Front government in Kerala, about their efforts.
“Modi can’t do anything. He is run by (US President) Donald Trump. But what is the Kerala government doing to protect you?” He said.
The situation in West Asia escalated after a joint US-Israeli military strike on February 28 on Iranian soil resulted in the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other prominent figures, sparking a violent response from Tehran.
So far, reports indicate that the United States is preparing plans for possible extended ground operations in Iran for several weeks, according to the Washington Post. But mixed signals continue to come from Trump, while Iran has threatened to strike US companies, including Google and Apple, in the Gulf region.
