Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting with Chief Ministers on Friday to review states’ preparedness amid the conflict in the Middle East. Earlier, an all-party meeting on the issue was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Sources said that with Iran continuing its chokehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz, impacting global energy flows, the meeting will focus on ensuring coordinated efforts in the spirit of ‘Team India’.
The Prime Minister had advocated this approach in his Rajya Sabha speech on Tuesday, noting that the effects of the war are likely to persist and urging collective action. He encouraged states to maintain India’s growth momentum and recalled the strong ‘Team India’ response during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the Centre and states worked together on testing, vaccination and essential supplies. “With the combined efforts of all state governments and the central government, the country will be able to effectively confront this grave global crisis. We must carry forward the same ‘Team India’ spirit,” he had said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed his participation in the meeting and said there is no shortage of petroleum products in the country. “Prime Minister has convened a meeting tomorrow at 6:30 PM, which I will also attend. The discussion will focus on the situation in Iran and the surrounding region, and the steps being taken in response,” he said.
On the situation in the Union Territory, Abdullah said adequate stocks of petrol and LPG cylinders are available, but panic buying triggered by social media rumours has led to queues at fuel stations. “If this continues, I may be compelled to shut petrol pumps for a few days,” the chief minister said.