New Delhi: India should be a “constructive voice” for peace, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Friday, while backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s efforts to reach out to the Iranian leadership amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
“Glad that India is taking the initiative for peace.” Tharoor said, adding: “I think India should be active. We can’t just sit back passively.”
He was speaking to reporters outside Parliament, as reported by Hindustan Times.
His remarks came a day after Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the worsening security situation in West Asia during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
There is also major concern about disruption to critical energy trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of global oil and gas supplies passes.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said responsibility for the conflict lies on both sides of the conflict, when asked about a recent resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council condemning Iran’s attacks on its neighbours.
“On principle, there is wrong on both sides,” Tharoor said, criticising the initial strikes by the US and Israel.
“It was wrong of the US and Israel to attack,” the former diplomat said, arguing that claims of provocation or pre-emptive self-defence were difficult to justify when negotiations were reportedly underway and Iran was “apparently granting everything demanded.”
He also blamed Iran for expanding the conflict. “Equally, on the other side, Iran is to blame for attacking countries not a party to the war and hurting innocent civilians,” Tharoor said.
He added that the escalating violence highlights “the pointlessness of wars and conflicts.”
The continuing hostilities could have serious consequences for global energy flows and for India’s interests in the region, the MP warned.
“At the moment, neither side seems willing to settle,” he said, adding that statements from Donald Trump suggested the military campaign may soon run out of targets, while Iran has indicated that retaliation could continue.
“It is difficult for us sitting in Delhi to judge,” Tharoor said. But India, he argued, should remain “a constructive voice for peace.”
He also pointed to the risks faced by Indian nationals in the region. “The safety of nine million Indians in the Gulf countries and our relationships are also at stake,” he said, adding that it was “in the interest of the world to collectively push to end this, and we should be a leading voice in the matter.”
While addressing the issue of shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, Tharoor said that supply challenges could particularly affect households that have shifted from traditional fuels to gas.
“According to the minister’s statement yesterday, petrol, diesel, kerosene, all that the supplies are adequate,” he said.
LPG appeared to be facing specific issues, he noted. “It seems LPG is a particular area where there is some shortage,” Tharoor said, adding that the increasing reliance on cylinder gas – especially in rural areas – means any disruption can create serious difficulties.
“If cylinders are not easy to get, that becomes a real challenge,” he said, urging the country to work collectively to resolve the issue quickly.
Minister of petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri has, meanwhile, denied claims that the country is facing an LPG shortage.
