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Informist, Monday, Mar. 9, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Shashi Tharoor, Congress Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Monday lambasted the Narendra Modi government for not allowing a discussion on the situation in West Asia arising out of the military conflict between the US-Israel combine and Iran. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar read out a statement on the situation in both Houses of Parliament.

 

"Parliament is not a notice board where you come and paste your statement," Tharoor told reporters outside Parliament. "The external affairs minister made a suo motu statement and there cannot be any discussion on that."

 

India sources over 45% of its crude oil and around 85% of its liquefied petroleum gas from countries in the Persian Gulf region. The supply has been in jeopardy following Iran's retaliatory attacks on Gulf countries and its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

 

Earlier, as Jaishankar read out the statement, opposition MPs in both Houses of Parliament stood up and raised slogans, slamming the government for raising the price of domestic cooking gas by INR 60 per cylinder. In Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge gave notice for a short duration discussion on the issue, but the notice was rejected by Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan.

 

In the Lok Sabha, the government insisted the House should first discuss the motion for the removal of the Speaker, for which the Opposition had given notice in the first leg of the Budget Session. However, the Opposition demanded a discussion on the West Asia conflict as it affects India's energy needs.

 

"The Opposition is not clear what it wants," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in the Lok Sabha. "They had given notice for the motion to remove the Speaker. The government is ready to discuss the motion. But now they want to discuss the situation in West Asia on which our External Affairs Minister has already made a detailed statement."

 

As the Opposition persisted in demanding a discussion on the evolving situation in West Asia and raised a ruckus, the chair adjourned the House till 1500 hours.

 

Outside Parliament, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said the current situation calls for an urgent discussion and the matter naturally takes precedence over any other discussion. "The conditions prevailing today are not the same as when the motion for the removal of the Speaker was moved," he said. 

 

In his statement read out in both Houses, Jaishankar said India is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia with the relevant ministries coordinating to ensure an effective response. He said the government remains committed to safeguarding domestic energy security, taking into account the availability, cost, and risks of global energy markets.  End

 

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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