MA Baby urges PM Modi to 'firmly' condemn US-Israel war on Iran, take steps to address LPG shortage

Recalling AB Vajpayee government passing a resolution against the US attack on Iraq in 2003, Baby also urged Modi to move a resolution during the ongoing Budget Session in Parliament to condemning the US-Israel "aggression" and call upon the countries to end the war.

New Delhi: CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately take steps to address shortage of LPG in the country, accusing the government of failing to ensure adequate gas reserves that could protect India's interests from external shocks and instabilities caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.

Recalling AB Vajpayee government passing a resolution against the US attack on Iraq in 2003, Baby also urged Modi to move a resolution during the ongoing Budget Session in Parliament to condemn the US-Israel "aggression" and call upon the countries to end the war.

He also said that Modi should take necessary steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of energy resources.

"Overall, the war initiated by the US and Israel is having a debilitating impact on the lives of people in our country. Even cremation has become difficult in places where gas-based crematoriums have had to shut down their operations," he said, asking the government to reconsider the recent foreign policy positions and "firmly condemn" the US-Israel war on Iran.

In a letter to Modi, the CPI(M) leader said the West Asia situation has "destabilised" energy supply chains but the government has increased the price of LPG cylinders, adding to the heavy burden on people already struggling with inflation. He said black marketeers are having a field day, as the government has put curbs on booking cylinders.

The government should immediately take measures to curb black marketing and ensure the availability of gas cylinders to all genuinely needy individuals, besides strict action against those who are hoarding and selling LPG cylinders at inflated prices, he said.

Noting that many student hostels have reduced their food menus with students being served either 'dal or sabji' instead of proper meals while in other instances, hostels are being shut down, he demanded that government should ensure uninterrupted supply to student hostels so that academic activities are not impacted.

"The scarcity of cooking gas has also affected many restaurants and office canteens. Gig workers who depend on delivering cooked food are losing their jobs. The prices of alternative cooking sources, such as induction stoves and electric cookers, have risen sharply. Even the cost of firewood has increased by more than four to five times. It has also come to our notice that the prices of edible oil are on the rise," he said.

Baby demanded that the government should take steps to regulate prices of edible oils, provide adequate compensation for gig workers dependent on food deliveries who have lost their jobs and protect the interests of small restaurant owners.

Asking the government to reconsider the recent foreign policy positions and "firmly condemn" the US-Israel war on Iran, he recalled the US attack on Iraq in 2003 and the Parliament unanimously passing a resolution deploring the attack on a sovereign country.

"It is worth recalling that the Prime Minister of India at that time was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was leading the then BJP-led NDA government. We urge you to move a similar resolution in the Parliament, which is currently in session, condemning the US-Israel aggression on Iran," he added.