‘Govt won’t leave Indians stranded,’ says PM Modi, slams Congress for politicising Iran War

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress party of politicising a major global crisis and acting irresponsibly by making “provocative and irresponsible statements” that could worsen the situation for Indians abroad. Speaking in Ernakulam, Kerala, the Prime Minister assured the safety and evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war and said the country’s embassies and missions in Gulf countries were providing round-the-clock assistance and friendly governments in the region were taking care of Indians.

“Congress is deliberately making provocative and irresponsible statements to worsen the situation so that our people stay stuck in that crisis, and then these people can start a campaign to make reels abusing Modi,” the PM said.

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He said the government is closely monitoring the situation and taking steps to support Indians in Gulf states.

“India of today does not leave its citizens stranded elsewhere. We are working to ensure that every possible help is provided to Indians in West Asia,” PM Modi said amid concerns for thousands of Indians working in the region.

PM Modi launched several development projects in Ernakulam, Kerala and said the initiatives will promote industrial growth, boost tourism and improve the ease of living for people in Kerala.

Modi said Kerala is among the states benefiting significantly from the Centre’s push for infrastructure expansion and stressed that India is receiving global praise for its large-scale investments in modern infrastructure. He said the Union Budget this year has allocated record funds for infrastructure development.

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The Prime Minister said expanding the petroleum sector is crucial for building an Atmanirbhar Bharat and strengthening the Make in India initiative. He noted that the foundation stone for a polypropylene unit at the Kochi Refinery was laid with the same objective.

The PM also said that the ongoing crisis underlines the importance of India becoming energy secure and economically independent. “The Middle East crisis and the resulting energy shortage show how important it is for a nation to be atmanirbhar,” he said.