Jaipur, March 5 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday raised concerns on several burning issues such as the Iran–Israel War, Nitish Kumar going to the Rajya Sabha, and Indians stuck in Gulf nations amid the war in West Asia. He also questioned the silence of the Indian government, including the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs over the attack on an Iranian ship near India’s coastal region and termed it a matter of concern.
He said, “The US attack and the downing of a ship near our coastal region are matters of serious concern. I believe our government and the country should take a clear stand on this issue, because the war is taking place elsewhere. If, for any reason, such one-sided actions occur within our area of influence, then India’s territorial integrity and its neutral stance could be compromised.
“I believe that remaining silent and not expressing our position on this matter is wrong. India has always believed in calling right what is right and wrong what is wrong. But the continued silence of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, and the Government of India, is being witnessed by the world, and it is not good for our country’s interests.”
“As far as Israel and Palestine are concerned, India has consistently maintained that the two-nation solution should apply there. Whether it is Iran, Afghanistan, Europe, or Russia, India’s bilateral relations with these countries have been long-standing, rooted in culture and history. We should not deviate from our diplomatic principles, our national interests, or India’s traditional practice of maintaining impartiality,” he added.
“The country has witnessed many different types of governments over the years. There have been several Prime Ministers from the Congress as well as from non-Congress parties. But this is the first government where I feel that it is under pressure from one side or another.
“First, Trump imposes a deal on us: American goods will be distributed throughout India at zero tariffs. We will pay 18 per cent. We will not be able to buy oil from Russia. We are committing to buy goods worth $500 billion from them. All these terms and conditions are one-sided, and we accepted them with closed ears.
“Farmers across the country are protesting today. The entire party and society understand that there will be a crisis in the coming times. There will be a crisis for farmers, milk producers, cotton farmers, soybean farmers, and corn farmers,” Pilot added.
He questioned why this was happening and added that continued silence of the government on the destruction of the Iranian ship is not good for India’s interests.
“We are seeing that even European countries, which are much smaller than us, are standing up and speaking out about what is right and what is wrong. I think the ship that was there has been destroyed. And how close was it to India? That ship was there to participate in our military operation. At some point, we have to stand up and speak out about what is right and what is wrong. The continued silence of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, and the Government of India, is being witnessed by the world, and it is not good for our country’s interests.”
Speaking on the Bihar Chief Minister’s decision to move to the Rajya Sabha, Pilot said, “We don’t understand why he contested the Assembly election on his own merit, garnered votes, the public elected him, and now he is withdrawing.”
He wondered under whose pressure Nitish Kumar was doing this and if he was doing it voluntarily or suppressing his desires.
“We have no idea. Nitish Kumar has changed his mind many times, sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other. Now it is being heard that he is coming to Delhi. What will happen in Bihar again? I cannot say whether the BJP will gain power there by pressuring him. But whatever is happening is being done by deceiving the public. If you had said six months ago that you wanted to run for the Rajya Sabha, the Bihar election results might have been different,” Pilot stated.
Dwelling on the issue of Indians stranded in Gulf countries due to the conflict in West Asia, he said, “I believe the Indian government should leave no stone unturned. If even one of our citizens is stranded abroad, stranded in those Gulf countries, it is our responsibility to bring them back safely. We have good relations with everyone and have no enmity with anyone. Our citizens who are stranded there, and many people from Rajasthan are also stranded in various countries. We are receiving messages from them as well. I hope the Ministry of External Affairs and the government act quickly, because the safety of our citizens should be our priority. People from other countries are chartering flights and sending flights for their citizens. We should immediately deploy as many resources as possible to bring them back safely.”
–IANS
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