NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government has formed seven empowered groups to develop strategies on fuel, supply chains and fertilisers, among others, to address the impact of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, reiterating that the war has created a serious energy crisis globally.
In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, a day after he addressed the Lok Sabha on the same issue, Modi warned that the impact of the conflict could be felt for a longer period of time, adding that India is committed to ensuring safe access for all ships carrying essential commodities such as fertilisers, oil and gas.
He said: “The current crisis has shaken the economy… and recovery will take some time. But efforts are being made to mitigate this. The fundamentals of our economy are strong and we are operating on a war footing.”
“Just like the empowered groups, comprising experts and officials, that were formed during the Covid pandemic to address challenges in various sectors, seven new empowered groups were formed just yesterday,” he said. “These groups will be tasked with taking action, guided by immediate and long-term strategies, on critical issues, such as supply chains, oil, diesel, fertilizer, natural gas and inflation. I am fully confident that through these collective efforts, we will be able to effectively deal with the prevailing conditions.”
Describing attacks on commercial ships and obstacles to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as “unacceptable”, Modi sought support of state governments in strengthening efforts to ensure smooth supply of food and other necessities to the poor and migrant workers, urging them to show a united response as “Team India” to the global crisis.
He told the House of Representatives that efforts are being made to restore supplies and safe passage of goods, stressing that new markets for crude oil and gas are being exploited. He also emphasized the efforts made by the government to rescue Indians from the affected areas.
“There is a strong possibility that the negative repercussions of this conflict will continue for a long time. However, I assure the people of this nation that the government remains vigilant and proactive; it is formulating strategies with utmost seriousness and taking all necessary decisions,” Modi said.
He added that in such a difficult situation, it is necessary that a unified voice for peace and dialogue be sent from the House of Representatives to the whole world.
Reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement in the Senate, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the statement came too late and raises more questions than it answers.
“Prime Minister Modi’s 20-minute statement in the Rajya Sabha was, at best, an exercise in obfuscation,” Karjee said in a post on X, while raising three questions on India’s foreign policy and the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
