Energy crisis: Rahul corners PM, Puri in Lok Sabha

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government over India’s energy security and the US waiver allowing India to buy crude oil from Russia. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he said the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran could have far-reaching consequences, cautioning that the conflict in West Asia may significantly impact India.

Any disruption or closure of the Strait of Hormuz would directly affect India’s economy and energy supplies, he said, adding that the anxiety over LPG availability was already spreading and could worsen if the conflict escalates.

Advertisement

Gandhi, who had given notice to speak on energy security — which he described as the foundation of a nation — questioned who allowed the United States to decide whether India could buy oil from Russia. “Why would a nation the size of India allow any other nation, the President of another nation, to permit us to buy Russian oil,” he asked.

He said the answer to the “puzzle” lay in what he described as a “compromised” oil buying policy, which he claimed was linked to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his alleged association with disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein and investor George Soros. Chaos soon erupted in the Lok Sabha following the mention of Epstein and Speaker Om Birla asked Gandhi to confine his remarks to the subject mentioned in his notice.

“I have a copy of the notice given by the Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi regarding the gas shortage in the country, and I allowed him to speak on that subject. However, despite being a responsible Leader of the Opposition, discussing other issues without notice is not within the procedures and rules of Parliament…I am urging you again, and Parliament will not function this way. Parliament will function according to rules and procedures,” Birla said

Speaking to the media later, Gandhi said the Prime Minister was asking people not to panic over the situation but he “himself is panicked because of the Adani case and the Epstein files.”

“He is not able to come inside the House and he is telling the country not to panic when he himself is panicked,” Gandhi added.