New Delhi [India], March 13 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday accused the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of having a "habit" to confuse the nation and undermine India's standing on the global stage.
Speaking to ANI outside parliament, Singh said, "It has become a habit of Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to spread confusion in the nation and raise questions on the foreign policy...Having Tea at the Makara Dwar and abusing the nation, he also spread confusion in the nation during COVID."
His remarks come amidst a heated debate between the Centre and Opposition over national energy security, fueled by the escalating West Asia conflict and its impact on global supplies.
A day earlier, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that the ongoing conflict in West Asia and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could have serious consequences for India's energy security, saying that "the pain has just started.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran is likely to have far-reaching global and domestic repercussions.
Gandhi warned that the impact is already beginning to be felt across the country, claiming that restaurants are shutting down and there is growing panic among people over LPG availability.
"A war has broken out in the Middle East. The United States, Israel and Iran are at war. This war is going to have far-reaching consequences. The central artery from where 20 % of the global oil flows, the Strait of Hormuz, has been closed. This is going to have tremendous repercussions, particularly for us, because a very large portion of our oil and natural gas comes through the Strait of Hormuz. The pain has just started. Restaurants are closing. There's widespread panic about LPG...This is only the beginning," Gandhi said.
Gandhi further stressed that energy security forms the foundation of any nation's stability. He criticised the idea of allowing external powers to influence India's decisions regarding its energy partnerships.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the country is successfully navigating the major disruption in global energy supplies following the West Asia conflict.
"India has sufficient gas production and supply arrangements to sustain this position even in the event of a prolonged conflict. Power generation for every household and for industry is fully protected," Puri said.
The Union Minister noted that the conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, a route that typically handles 20 per cent of the world's crude, natural gas, and LPG.
Addressing the House, Puri stated that India's crude supply remains secure despite the fact that 45 per cent of imports previously transited the affected route. He noted that "Non-Hormuz sourcing has risen to approximately 70 per cent of crude imports, up from 55 per cent before the conflict began".
He assured the House that "There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF or fuel oil. The availability of petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, and fuel oil is fully assured," with refineries operating at high capacity utilisation, sometimes "exceeding 100 per cent".
"Domestic piped gas to homes and CNG for vehicles receive 100 per cent supply with no cuts. Industrial and manufacturing consumers will receive upto 80 per cent of their previous six-month average. Fertiliser plants will receive upto 70 per cent, protecting the agricultural input chain ahead of the sowing season. Refineries and petrochemical units absorb a managed reduction, with that gas redirected to higher-priority sectors. I am pleased to inform the House that the shortfall has been substantially offset through alternative procurement," Puri stated.