Amid US-Iran conflict, EAM S Jaishankar to brief parliament on West Asia tensions

EXternal affairs government minister S Jaishankar testament do a financial statement on the on-going situation in West Asia and address concerns about safety of Indians living in gulf countries, in Parliament on Monday, when the second half of the budget session will begin.The session, which is set to be stormy, will start amid renewed confrontation between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition over the no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, conflict in West Asia, and the India-US trade deal. The session is expected to set the tone for the upcoming assembly elections in four states and one Union territory.The revised business of the House shows that Jaishankar “will make a statement on the situation in West Asia.” The statement assumes significance as the Opposition is expected to try to corner government over the international issues and particularly on the US administration’s waiver to India to buy Russian oil for 30 days amid the global doldrums on oil supply through Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, the route accounting for nearly a quarter of global oil supply.Also Read | Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? Iran names new Supreme Leader amid war with US, Israel“It has been let known that the External Affairs Minister will make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on the situation in West Asia. The problems with such Ministerial statements are that (i) they convey little of value over and above that is already known; and more importantly (ii) MPs are not given an opportunity to seek clarifications or ask questions,” Congress general secretary and lawmaker Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.Even as the Opposition has indicated its stance ahead of the budget session that is going to target the government over its alleged compromise with the US administration, the NDA is likely to attack the Opposition over the no-confidence motion against Birla and the alleged lack of protocol to President Droupadi Murmu during her latest visit to West Bengal.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already dubbed the incident as “shameful and unprecedented”. “Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened. The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji, who herself hails from a tribal community, has caused immense sadness in the minds of the people of India. The TMC government of West Bengal has truly crossed all limits. Their administration is responsible for this insult to the President,” Modi said.West Bengal is among the states that will go to assembly polls in April-May this year.The Opposition, on the other hand, is likely to corner the government over foreign policy and the India-US relations.“India’s foreign policy emerges from the collective will of our people. It should be rooted in our history, our geography, and our spiritual ethos based on Satya and Ahimsa. What we are witnessing today is not policy. It is the result of the exploitation of a compromised individual,” leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X last week.The session will end on April 2. The government has to pass the Finance Bill and demand for grants for the ministries. The government is yet to reveal the legislative agenda of the session.