New Delhi, March 11 The Congress on Wednesday demanded a full-fledged discussion in Parliament on the West Asia crisis that has led to energy shortages, saying the people of the country deserve to know the truth.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the energy crisis is deepening in the country, and people are being made to suffer the hardships.
"The Modi Government's false 'source-based' assurances expose its utter incompetence. The Union Government was aware of the impending war in West Asia. Yet, it did nothing to secure India's energy supply," he said in a post on X.
"The country deserves the truth. We demand a full discussion on this crisis in Parliament, and the Prime Minister must answer the nation," the Congress chief said.
He claimed that farmers are first in the line to suffer as fuel shortages hit agriculture and fertilizer supply.
Rationing of LPG cylinders has begun, he said, claiming that long queues for refills are being witnessed at gas agencies.
There is an acute shortage of commercial cylinders – with a wait of up to 25 days for domestic cylinders, he said, adding that restaurants and small eateries are shutting down, and hoarding and black marketing are spreading.
"60,000 tonnes of Basmati exports are stuck. Wheat exports have been disrupted. Medicine prices are likely to surge as raw material costs have risen by nearly 30 percent.
"The textile sector is facing cascading cost pressures. Aviation fuel is rising. Air travel is becoming more expensive. Steelmakers are under severe input cost pressure.
"From ceramics and glass to FMCG and automobiles, every sector is feeling the heat. Every product is likely to become more expensive," Kharge claimed in his post.
Noting that this pattern of denial is not new, he said, "During demonetisation, we were told that cash shortages would end in 50 days, and that the Prime Minister was ready for any punishment the people might give."
During the Covid pandemic, he said, "We were told that it was not a serious emergency. The nation witnessed bodies in the Ganga and catastrophic mismanagement."
On the West Asia war, the Congress leader said, "Now we are told that India has 74 days of oil and energy stocks. The situation remains grim."
Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra blamed the BJP government's policies for rising prices and the widespread unemployment across the country.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, she referred to the rising prices and unemployment, and asked, "How much more will the public tolerate?"
She also demanded that a meaningful discussion in Parliament could have helped raise people's concerns. She said that over the past 10 years, the prices of 'everything' had increased while unemployment had also risen.
Vadra pointed to the situation of cooking gas prices, saying that the public was bearing the burden due to the government's policies.
"I wonder how much the public will tolerate suddenly? How much will people tolerate because of their policies? It would have been better if there had been a good discussion on these issues in the House," she said.
Addressing a press conference, All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba sought an immediate rollback of the recent LPG price hike and demanded the resignation of Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, saying that the country was facing rising inflation and gas shortages.
Lamba said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working "under pressure" from US President Donald Trump and warned that the country could face higher inflation and LPG shortages as a result of decisions affecting crude oil supplies.
She remarked that India's oil policy had been "influenced" by "pressure from the US administration", which she claimed had used the Epstein files and a case against Gautam Adani.
"Under pressure from America, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has compromised the interests of the country," she alleged.
The Congress said when Mahila Congress raised questions about this, the frightened government got FIRs filed against Lamba and fellow workers and termed it "blatant injustice."
The Congress had staged a walkout in Rajya Sabha and protested in Lok Sabha on being dissatisfied with the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in both houses of Parliament on Monday.
India on Monday advocated de-escalation of tensions in West Asia and called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all underlying issues, as it put the safety of around one crore Indians in the region as its top priority, along with securing energy security and trade.
