Parrikar coming on June 15, says BJP MLA; party unsure
Panaji, June 12: The mystery behind ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's return to the state got further deepened after a BJP MLA said on Tuesday that he will arrive on June 15 even as a senior party leader said the Chief Minister was likely to return by June-end.
"Parrikar is returning to Goa on June 15," MLA Nilesh Cabral told the media in Panaji.
A senior Bharatiya Janata Party functionary, however, told IANS that while Parrikar was likely to return to Goa sometime later this month, the exact date of his arrival was still not certain.
"As a party we do not know his exact date of arrival. Parrikarji is likely to come to Goa in June, but the tickets as far as we know haven't been booked yet," the official said, requesting anonymity.
Parrikar is undergoing treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer in a New York hospital.
The 62-year-old former Defence Minister was hospitalised on three occasions in Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital and the Goa Medical College since mid February. He was shifted to the US in March this year for specialised treatment.
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Russia always ready to supply crude oil to India: Envoy
New Delhi (PTI): Russia has always been open to supplying crude oil to India, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said on Thursday, amid increasing concerns over spiralling prices of petroleum products in view of the West Asia crisis.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
India imports 88 per cent of its crude oil needs and roughly half of its natural gas requirement. These mostly come via the Strait of Hormuz.
Any prolonged instability in West Asia is set to be detrimental to India's national interests as the region remains a major source of New Delhi's energy security.
"We have been open to supplying crude oil to India," Alipov told reporters while responding to a question on Russian crude oil supplies to India in view of the West Asia crisis.
The US launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
In the last three days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both the sides.
India's procurement of crude oil from Russia has seen sharp fall in the last few weeks.
US President Donald Trump, while announcing a trade deal with New Delhi last month, claimed India has agree to not procure crude oil from Russia.
In an executive order, Trump had rolled back an additional 25 per cent tariffs on India that he imposed in August last for India's procurement of crude oil from Russia.
In the order, the US said it would monitor whether India resumed Russian oil purchases directly or indirectly and that would determine whether a 25 per cent tariff would again be re-impose.
India has been maintaining that it will procure oil from multiple sources and diversify them to ensure stability in the supply chain with national interests remaining the "guiding factor" for the procurement.
