Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement in Parliament in which he urged people to be prepared for the effects of the West Asia war. He accused the Center of outsourcing the preparations and failing to act despite repeated warnings.
In a post on Twitter quoting the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Stalin wrote, “The responsibility of preparedness cannot be handed over to the public. Preparation for what – the leadership, or the lack thereof? Prime Minister, whose responsibility is it to prepare the Central Government or the people of the country? You say that just as we prepared for Covid-19, we should also be prepared for the effects of the West Asia war.”
Chief Minister Stalin reminded Prime Minister Modi that on March 11, he had written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding immediate steps to ensure uninterrupted supply of LPG cylinders, rescue of Tamils stranded in Gulf countries and amendment in the gas supply allocation limit for power stations.
He said, “As the war situation became serious and its impact became apparent, I wrote to you on March 11 requesting three measures: ensuring uninterrupted availability of LPG cylinders for all uses, rescuing Tamils stranded in Gulf countries and revising the gas supply allocation limit for power stations. The next day, March 12, opposition parties protested in the Parliament complex to convey the seriousness of the situation to the Central government.”
He further said that after receiving no response from the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government itself called a high-level meeting on March 14 and announced relief measures.
Chief Minister Stalin further said, “Without waiting for action from the Central Government, as a responsible State Government, we held high-level consultations and announced several measures to deal with the gas shortage: subsidy of Rs 2 per unit for additional power consumption by food production units switching from LPG to electric stoves; concessional loans to small and medium enterprises to purchase electric stoves and heaters; and assistance to industries to obtain consent of TNPCB for use of alternative fuels. To support the livelihood of farmers amid the closure of restaurants, vegetables and fruits could be sold without any restrictions. At that time, I asked: ‘What is the central government going to do to protect public welfare?’ Did not get any response.”
Protests took place across Tamil Nadu on 15 March, condemning the “lack of foresight and preparation” of the BJP-led central government.
He further said, “We organized protests across Tamil Nadu, in which we condemned the lack of foresight and preparedness of the BJP government at the Centre. After all this, you are advising that ‘people should be prepared.’ Before telling people to be prepared, are you prepared to protect them? What precautionary measures have you taken to protect Indian citizens from the effects of the West Asia War? Now the country has only one question: ‘Is the Prime Minister ready to protect us?'”
His comments came after Prime Minister Modi’s speech in the Lok Sabha on the America-Israel-Iran conflict.
In his speech the Prime Minister highlighted the escalating conflict in West Asia, which has entered its fourth week and poses significant challenges for India, especially in terms of energy security and trade disruptions.
Prime Minister Modi said, “The situation in West Asia is worrying. This conflict has been going on for more than three weeks. It is having a serious impact on the global economy and people’s lives, and that is why the world is urging all parties for an early resolution of this conflict.”
He also warned that the ongoing conflict in West Asia is likely to have long-term implications, while emphasizing that India’s diplomatic role has been to urge de-escalation.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the only solution to this problem is dialogue and diplomacy. He said the country should prepare for the possible long-term effects of the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that around one crore Indians live in the Gulf countries, making the situation even more worrying. He said that despite the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the government has taken steps to ensure the safety of Indian citizens, assist in evacuation and maintain essential fuel supplies.
He further informed that more than 375 lakh Indian citizens have returned safely to the country, of which at least 1000 have been brought under protection from Iran.