- 2 hours ago
The government on Wednesday convened an all-party meeting to address the West Asia conflict's impact on the nation's energy security, assuring leaders that there is no oil or LPG crisis.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:05Hello and welcome. Good evening. You're watching To The Point here on India Today.
00:09I'm Akshita Nandakopal and we kick off this broadcast with big breaking news coming in
00:13on the all-party meeting that's just concluded.
00:16The all-party meeting on the West Asia war and the impact on India.
00:20Here's what we're picking up from our sources of what's really been discussed in that meeting.
00:24The government in the all-party meeting has said very clearly that we have enough energy security,
00:30that yes, there's a requirement for more energy sources and that the government is in talks
00:35with every possible country to find more sources.
00:39The government also in their all-party meeting briefing other leaders of other parties has said
00:44that ships carrying oil will be arriving. There are more on the way headed to India's boats,
00:50which is good to know and reassuring considering the oil crisis that we've seen playing out in so many countries.
00:56The message essentially is this. The government is saying there's absolutely nothing to worry about,
01:01that they have things under control and that they're looking at alternative sources to find energy
01:08from other locations, from other countries, considering how things are playing out right now.
01:15This is the information we have. We can also confirm for you that shortly there will be a government briefing
01:20with the big takeaways of what exactly transpired in their all-party meeting.
01:25This all-party meeting was represented by the government, by Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Kiran Rajiju.
01:32You had Hardip Puri as well as several other ministers.
01:36Jay Shankar was also present for that particular meeting.
01:39As far as the opposition was concerned, the political parties there were the Congress, the left,
01:44you had the JDU and several others who were also present.
01:48The TMC chose to boycott the meeting.
01:50But the government's sending out a message that all is well.
01:53Remember, this comes a day after Prime Minister Modi, Inde Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
01:56stressed on the need for states to come together and work through this critical time.
02:01He did suggest that yes, there are in fact efforts being made to ensure that we ramp up our energy
02:07security,
02:08but that we have enough.
02:10And remember the comparison that he drew to COVID.
02:13That's what led to everyone asking whether we have enough at this point, whether it's oil or gas.
02:19The government is saying that everything's under control.
02:21There's absolutely no reason to panic.
02:24And importantly, that more ships carrying oil are headed to India's ports as we speak.
02:30In that communication to the political parties, the government has stressed that these oil tankers will be arriving in a
02:39day or two.
02:40And so that will largely also help in addressing any crisis that breaks out.
02:46I want to bring in Moshmi Singh for more details on this.
02:48Moshmi, good evening.
02:50Take us through the big takeaways of the all-party meeting.
02:53What was the messaging from the government?
03:02Moshmi, can you hear me?
03:04All right, apologies.
03:05We've lost that connection with Moshmi.
03:06We're going to connect with her once again.
03:09Now, besides this, the larger message, and this is the information we have,
03:13that Rajnath Singh had chaired the meeting.
03:16So he began, in fact, the meeting.
03:18He opened the floor, spoke about the issues that have been raised, about whether there is an LPG crisis.
03:25And so he's been told very clearly, he's, in fact, informed the political parties very clearly that there's no crisis,
03:31there's nothing to worry about.
03:32I'll bring back Moshmi Singh on this broadcast.
03:35Moshmi, get us those details of what transpired in the meeting.
03:46Okay, we're going to connect with Moshmi.
03:49Again, I apologize for that connection issue that we're having with her.
03:53But we're going to connect with our reporters to get more details.
03:56We understand that in their all-party meeting, questions by the opposition were raised on LPG,
04:01on ships coming from the Strait of Hormuz,
04:02and whether there's been a clear line that's been found for these ships to come through to India.
04:07The government, in response to that, has said everything is under control.
04:11Four ships will be docking in the next four to five days.
04:14That's what the government has confirmed in that all-party meeting.
04:18On the question of whether there is an LPG shortage in the country,
04:22the government has maintained that everything is under control,
04:26that there is, in fact, some, there is a need to look into our energy requirements,
04:32and that is something that the government is doing right now.
04:35Now, Piyush Mishra is joining us with details.
04:37So, on this, Piyush, give us a sense of what really transpired in the all-party meeting.
04:49Piyush, can you hear me?
04:55All right, apologies once again.
04:57We're having a bit of a problem, as you can see, connecting with my colleagues on the ground,
05:02but we're going to go across to them very, very soon to get you those details.
05:05In the meanwhile, I'll continue reading out for you exactly what we've picked up,
05:10that right after Rajnath Singh addressed the leaders,
05:12you had a presentation also by the Foreign Secretary, Vikram Bhistri,
05:16who was present at the meeting, after which the floor was open for questions.
05:20So, political party representatives who were there had an opportunity also
05:24to put out all the questions they had on the impact of the war on India.
05:30And so, one of the questions that constantly came up was about LPG,
05:35whether there was a shortage, and the government very clearly said
05:39it's something that we are addressing, everything is under control.
05:43The over-branding message here is there's no need to panic whatsoever,
05:48that things are under control.
05:50And this is important because we're also seeing, of course,
05:53a lot of onus on state governments to kind of ensure that we are able to address
05:57the situation and go around what's happening.
06:01I want to bring in Moshmi Singh once again for those details.
06:03Moshmi, tell us what really transpired in the all-party meeting.
06:08You know, our sources tell us in the government that the meeting went on very well.
06:12And after the entire briefing by the Foreign Secretary,
06:17of course, the floor was opened by the Defence Minister.
06:21There were a question-answer session where the opposition asked multiple questions.
06:25And that was answered by the Minister of External Affairs, S.J. Shankar.
06:31The opposition parties and, of course, all the other parties were very satisfied,
06:36apparently, with the government's response.
06:38Importantly, questions on Pakistan's role and also on why at all Israel and Iran,
06:45Israel and U.S. attacked Iran was also asked,
06:48to which the government said that Iran had assured that the nuclear facility
06:53will not, capabilities will not be developed.
06:56But Iran was inching towards that, and that's why that entire attack happened.
07:01As far as the Pakistan issue is concerned, and it's playing a middleman is concerned,
07:06the government clarified that this has been going on since 1981,
07:09where U.S. has used Pakistan, in fact, to negotiate with Iran.
07:16So that is a matter of something that has been going on in the past as well.
07:21The government also assured that there was no LPG crisis or no deepening crisis
07:27as far as the fear-mongering is concerned.
07:31Interestingly, you know, there was also an issue raised by the leader saying that
07:36with the Prime Minister associating the entire crisis to COVID times,
07:40it did create a sense of panic.
07:43The government said, no, there was nothing like that.
07:45And even if there was a little bit of doubt or a sense of uncertainty amongst people,
07:52the government will do all that is needed to clarify that there is no deepening crisis
07:59or a state of panic that the people should indulge in.
08:02It's an important point that you raised, Moshme,
08:04because one of those questions that constantly came up in the last 24 hours
08:08after the Prime Minister's address is, why that comparison with COVID?
08:13And we understand that that was brought up.
08:15Aishwarya Paliwal is also with us.
08:16Aishwarya, that was brought up too in this all-party meeting.
08:19What was the response of the government to questions about whether it's a COVID-like situation?
08:25Because there's a lot of concern right now.
08:27You see that with a lot of people asking whether we're going to see a lockdown in the country.
08:32What was the response of the government to that?
08:34Well, the government, Akshita, let me tell you,
08:36very clearly has given an assurance to all the opposition parties, telling them.
08:39And in fact, you know, let me tell you, there was also a presentation, a very detailed one.
08:44The presentation went on for almost 10 to 12 minutes.
08:47And we understand that in the presentation, all these things were being answered.
08:51There were data that were being given to the opposition parties.
08:54The government, in fact, has said that they have already done the advanced booking.
08:58They're also saying that the ships have started moving.
09:00And in the next three to four days, we will see at least four to five more ships docking across
09:04the country.
09:05So that the kind of prices that a lot of people are speaking about, the government has assured all the
09:10opposition parties that there is no need to panic and the government is ready for this.
09:15You also spoke about the fact that COVID-like situation, because that's something that the opposition parties were asking the
09:20government over the past few days.
09:22They were asking the government whether the different states need to prepare themselves for a kind of lockdown that we
09:29did see in COVID.
09:29A very clear answer has been given by the government that no such thing will happen in the near future.
09:34The government is very well prepared.
09:36And the government also very clearly said that the refinery is working in our country, on our soil.
09:41They also are gearing up to make sure that there is enough supply of LPG.
09:44Another aspect, another point that's just emerged.
09:46I'll request Aishwarya and Moshmi to stay with me.
09:49According to sources, the opposition did raise a question.
09:53Remember, the foreign secretary was in that meeting.
09:55So, the opposition raised a question of why the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
09:59Obviously, the question was directed towards the MEA to kind of get a sense of what their understanding is of
10:06the conflict.
10:07And the foreign secretary to that question said that Iran had assured it would not conduct nuclear testing.
10:14But it was moving in that direction.
10:16Let's cut across live to Kiran Rajiju.
11:18and they have their own achievements.
11:22The result was the result that the Sochim Asia in Iran, Israel, America
11:28that was linked to this population, which was the result of the population,
11:31which was the result of this population, which would be affected by the population,
11:35and this was the result of that population could bring it.
11:40This is the result of the population.
11:41We've had several questions from the population,
11:45Thank you very much.
12:23Thank you very much.
12:47Thank you very much.
18:33There's two points that I want to highlight here on what transpired in that all-party meeting.
18:39First, the opposition raised the issue of Pakistan's mediation with Iran.
18:43That came up in the meeting too.
18:45And the government reportedly said that this has been ongoing since 1981.
18:49In a way, the US has for years used Pakistan to keep it engaged in talks with Iran.
18:55So the government has said that, look, this is nothing new.
18:57It's not something that India really has a say or has a stand on either.
19:02That essentially that this is something that Pakistan has been doing for the last many years.
19:06The other important point is on the prime minister's statement.
19:09I referred to this earlier, that the prime minister in his statement to the House yesterday spoke of a COVID
19:14-like situation.
19:16And that's triggered a lot of questions about whether there's going to be a lockdown announced in the country.
19:20So the opposition did raise that particular issue, saying that the prime minister's statement regarding COVID created a sense of
19:26panic in the country.
19:27In response, the government has said that there is no panic.
19:31If such a situation exists, they're looking into it to ensure that the right information is put out.
19:37This all-party meeting is also very importantly about messaging, about sending across a message to every citizen in this
19:44country that there's absolutely no reason to panic.
19:47That's something the prime minister too said in a speech when he said, don't panic, stay united.
19:51But just that reference of COVID seems to have created quite a bit of buzz, which is what the opposition
19:57also raised.
19:57The government has said, we will ensure that if there is any panic, that's immediately addressed.
20:03So that's another important takeaway that's emerged from the all-party meet as well.
20:08Importantly, the government maintains, Moshmi, that there's no political bickering or back and forth on this.
20:15The government maintains that the opposition is also with them during this crisis.
20:20Oh, absolutely.
20:22You know, the top sources in the government said were very satisfied with the meeting.
20:28They said it went on very well.
20:30And all the parties were united in what stand the government had taken.
20:36Also, they mentioned that, you know, all the queries were answered by the Minister of External Affairs.
20:43As the Foreign Secretary briefed the leaders on the entire matter.
20:49So it was a very satisfying, critical, crucial meeting.
20:53And importantly, as you highlighted, you know, the government said that there was no cause for worry as far as
20:59linking this entire issue to COVID-like situation is concerned.
21:03They said that it was nothing like that.
21:06And if there is a sense of uncertainty or apprehension in the public at large, the government will do the
21:13needful and is overlooking the entire situation.
21:16Also, you know, important, Ashita, as you highlighted, is the angle of Pakistan.
21:22Now, the government clearly told the leaders that we are not going to be a middleman for one country, go
21:32between one country and the other, as Pakistan has been used.
21:37And that's been happening for decades, where Pakistan has been used by U.S. to, you know, keep the channel
21:46of talks on with Iran.
21:47So, India has its independent foreign policy and it's not going to play second fiddle to anybody, is what the
21:54government clearly said.
21:56So, thereby, you know, settling that query of the opposition leaders.
22:02OK, interesting, interesting takeaways that have emerged from the all-party meeting.
22:06And we'll have to wait for opposition leaders to also react.
22:10Were they satisfied with the briefing? Were all of their questions are answered?
22:14We understand that it began with Rajnath Singh kind of addressing all of the leaders, suggesting that there's absolutely no
22:19reason to panic.
22:20Everything's under control. Everything's being monitored very carefully.
22:23There was a detailed presentation by the foreign secretary, followed by a Q&A, where opposition leaders were given a
22:28chance to raise some of the concerns that they had.
22:32Remember, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jay Shankar, Hardip Puri, Kiran Rajiju.
22:38They were all present in that meeting that's lasted for over one and a half hours.
22:44And so, every issue was taken up in detail.
22:47The government maintains that energy security is something they've taken care of.
22:52There is no concern per se there.
22:54The question also was raised of LPG crisis, considering we've been seeing also a whole lot of questions about whether
23:00we do have adequate gas supply or not.
23:04The government says it's something they are looking into.
23:06We are watching India Today to the point. I'm Preeti Chowdhury.
23:10While a debate rages on over the Uniform Civil Code in India, there are certain states that have already adopted
23:17the Uniform Civil Code.
23:19The first being Uttarakhand, the second now being the state of Gujarat.
23:24What does the Uniform Civil Code mean for the people in Gujarat?
23:29All of that and the controversy, the criticism around it.
23:33Here goes.
23:37Gujarat has become the latest state to move towards a Uniform Civil Code.
23:43The State Assembly cleared the bill to implement a common code amid protests and sharp political divide.
23:49The bill lays down a uniform framework governing personal laws across communities.
23:56It provides for mandatory registration of all marriages, with penalties for non-registration.
24:02Minimum marriage age is fixed at 21 for men and 18 for women.
24:06Customary and religious ceremonies remain valid, but only if registered.
24:11It also introduces uniform divorce procedures and equal maintenance rights for all.
24:17The scope goes beyond marriage.
24:19Live-in relationships must be registered.
24:21Children from such relationships will now be considered legitimate, with inheritance rights.
24:27The bill ensures equal inheritance for sons and daughters and bans bigamy.
24:31However, scheduled tribes have been kept outside its ambit.
25:00The opposition has slammed the bill as anti-minority and staged a walkout.
25:05In the assembly.
25:08foreign
25:08foreign
25:08foreign
25:08foreign
25:08we can't do it without our Quran. We can't do it. We can't do it.
25:13This bill is like the same thing.
25:14The BHABATI JINDA party, which is the way that the political party goes on,
25:19this bill is like the same thing.
25:23This bill is like the same thing.
25:23If the BHABATI JINDA party goes on, this year,
25:30the last election was going on,
25:55At the heart of the controversy is the question of identity and rights.
26:02Personal laws in India currently differ on the basis of religion.
26:06Separate laws govern marriage, divorce and inheritance for different faiths.
26:11Critics argue a uniform code could infringe religious freedom and override community customs.
26:17There are also fears of a majority-driven law dominating minorities.
26:22Muslim bodies strongly oppose the move and even the law commission earlier flagged the lack of consensus.
26:33Muslim groups held protest in Ahmedabad after a passage of UCC bill.
26:39Yet the idea is rooted in the constitution itself.
26:46Article 44, a directive principle, states that the government shall endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for all citizens.
26:55Only a few states have moved in that direction so far.
27:03Goa continues with the colonial era uniform civil law.
27:07Uttarakhand became the first post-independent state to implement UCC in 2024 and now Gujarat joins the list, becoming the
27:14second state to pass such a law.
27:17The push for a uniform civil code has long been a key BJP promise, forming a central part of its
27:23governance and electoral agenda.
27:27With Gujarat's move, the UCC debate is back in sharp focus, raising a larger question.
27:32Can one law truly fit a country as diverse as India or does uniformity come at the cost of identity?
27:38With Brijesh Joshi, Bureau Report, India Today.
Comments