Nadda slams Opposition for walkout during Jaishankar's statement
New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister J P Nadda on Monday accused the Opposition of indulging in petty politics and creating anarchy after the Congress and other Opposition parties sought to disrupt Rajya Sabha proceedings and staged a walkout when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a suo motu statement on the situation in West Asia.
Soon after, the House met for the day, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan read out the obituary references and allowed the laying of listed papers. He then asked Jaishankar to make the statement on West Asia.
However, Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge opposed this and demanded that there should be a full-fledged discussion on the situation in West Asia before such a statement is made by the minister.
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After being permitted by the Chair, Kharge said the escalation in the West Asia conflict will affect the country's economic stability and endanger the security and livelihood of Indian citizens working there.
"I request a short-duration discussion on emerging challenges for energy security and the fast-changing geopolitical situation in West Asia affecting India's energy security," Kharge said.
The Chairman told Kharge he would come back to him, and again asked Jaishankar to continue with his statement.
As the minister started making the statement, MPs belonging to the Congress and other Opposition parties were on their feet and insisted that Kharge be allowed to complete his remarks. They also raised slogans and demanded that a short discussion be allowed to which the minister should reply.
Later, the entire Opposition staged a walkout from the House while the minister was making his statement.
After Jaishankar's statement, Leader of the House J P Nadda termed the Opposition's behaviour as "irresponsible" and said they only want to create "anarchy and hooliganism".
"It is with great regret that I must say that the opposition's behaviour is highly irresponsible and reprehensible. They have absolutely no interest in the country or in debates in Parliament. Their sole aim is to create chaos. In Parliament, the Leader of the Opposition is giving speeches on issues other than the main topic," Nadda said.
The minister reminded the House that Opposition parties staged walkouts during government replies on important discussions like SIR, Viksit Bharat, Operation Sindoor, the Waqf Bill, as well as on the Union Budget.
"The Opposition's interest lies in advancing their petty politics, but under the respected leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this will never be possible. They will keep diminishing while sitting in the Opposition and eventually come to an end," Nadda said.
Kharge earlier said the West Asia conflict is now directly impacting the country's economic stability.
Importantly, about one crore Indians work in the region, and there are reports of some Indians being killed or missing in the ongoing conflict, he said.
"India received about USD 51 billion in remittances from Gulf countries," the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.
He also raised the issue of increase in LPG cylinder prices which were affecting the common people.
The house also congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the T20 Cricket World Cup.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
