Govt convenes all-party meet on West Asia conflict on March 25

New Delhi: Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in Parliament on the West Asia situation, the government has convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday on the developments in the region.

Sources said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh may chair the meeting scheduled for 5 pm on Wednesday in which Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) and other senior party leaders are expected to attend. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will not attend the meeting, as he has a scheduled election rally in Kerala.

Modi had addressed both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the issue on Monday and Tuesday, amid the Opposition demanding a detailed discussion on the situation in West Asia following the war between Israel-United States and Iran, which has disturbed oil and gas distribution in India.

Track latest updates on the US-Israel and Iran war here.

Trinamool Congress questioned the government move as the MPs were not allowed to seek clarification from Modi after his speech in Rajya Sabha.

"Instead of allowing a discussion on West Asia on the floor of the House while Parliament is in session, why is the government calling an all-party meeting in a conference room and not inside Parliament? How long will this government avoid scrutiny?" Trinamool Rajya Sabha Deputy floor leader Sagarika Ghose said.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is also likely to attend the meeting along with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri, had made statements in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

In the meeting, sources said the government would brief the leaders about the situation in the region and its impact on India. Opposition sources said they would insist on their demand for discussions in both the Houses of Parliament even as they believe that an all-party meeting is an attempt by the ruling BJP to avoid a discussion in Parliament.

Modi had told Parliament that the difficult global conditions caused by the conflict in West Asia may persist for a long time while asking people to remain prepared and united, just as it had stood together during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He also spoke about the concerns related to the impact on fuel, fertilisers and national security among other areas in India as well as on its nationals residing in the West Asia region. He said dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path to resolution.

Modi also said the West Asia war has created a serious energy crisis and it is a cause of concern for India. "Our aim is de-escalation; opening of Strait of Hormuz...India wants peace in West Asia through dialogue and diplomacy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha," he said in Rajya Sabha.

Congress and other Opposition parties had questioned Modi for not condemning the US-Israeli air strikes on Iran while targeting him for his statement as a "a master class in self-boasts, cowardice and partisan dialogue-baazi".