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Amid the looming shortage of commercial Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, March 11, said that the Indian government would prioritise the interest of citizens. He also asked not to panic or pay attention to the rumours.
Addressing a public meeting in Panjappur of Trichy district in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Modi said, “The conflict in west Asia has affected the whole world’s energy supply chain. We believe in the ideology of ‘India first’. In any situation, we have seen how our government always puts the interests of Indians in everything. Even this time, our approach will be the same,” he said.
During the COVID pandemic, 140 crore Indians showed the world how mature our nation is. I'm confident that as a nation, we will navigate every situation successfully, he added.
The supply concerns come amid escalating tensions in West Asia linked to the Iran-Israel conflict. The tensions have disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transit route through which a large share of oil and LPG shipments pass.
For India, the disruption is particularly significant, as about 85% of its LPG imports move through this route.
Prime Minister Modi further said there is no need to panic and appealed to the people to spread only correct and verified information.
The Prime Minister also referred to Tamil Nadu Minister KN Nehru without mentioning his name for alleged involvement in the cash-for-jobs scam.
“A minister from Trichy has allegedly committed fraud by promising jobs. When jobs are sold for money, the dreams of honest, middle-class, and poor youth are destroyed. Where does all the money from this fraud go? It goes to one family and becomes the property of that family,” he said insinuating against the DMK leadership in the state.
The alleged cash-for-jobs scam involved the recruitment of Assistant Engineers, Junior Engineers, and Town Planning Officers after paying bribes ranging from Rs 25 lakh to 35 lakh in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department (MAWS).
The Prime Minister also referred to the recent aggravated sexual assault that led to the death of a 2.5-year-old girl by the DMK young wing secretary and assured the NDA government will ensure the safety for women.
Modi also pointed out the Union cabinet’s approval for the proposal to upgrade Madurai Airport to international status.
“We have converted Madurai Airport into an international airport. Through this, a farmer who harvests Madurai jasmine in the morning can sell it in New York or Paris by the evening,” said the Prime Minister.
Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and several leaders of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners were present, including TTV Dhinakaran, GK Vasan, John Pandian, AC Shanmugam, Anbumani Ramadoss, Piyush Goyal and L Murugan.
Ahead of addressing the public meeting, Modi inaugurated and laid foundations for development projects worth over Rs 5,655 crore and flagged off 5 trains.
Earlier the day, he said the people of Tamil Nadu are connecting with the NDA's agenda of hope and progress.
“The DMK is clearly rattled by the NDA’s rising popularity across the state. The people of Tamil Nadu have seen through the misgovernance and unfulfilled promises of DMK. That is why, they are connecting with the NDA's agenda of hope and progress,” he said in a social media post.