: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday assured that India has sufficient stock of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas to deal with any crisis and asserted, “We successfully handled COVID, and we are ready to face whatever is happening in West Asia.”
Speaking at an event in Gomti Nagar, Singh said, “Right now, the crisis in West Asia has created many challenges. Though formally there is talk of a ceasefire, looking at ground realities, it would not be proper to assume the crisis is fully over.”
“When tension rose in West Asia, our PM formed a committee under my chairmanship. Its job is to strengthen government efforts to deal with the adverse effects of the West Asia crisis. Our PM himself reviews the situation and gives necessary directions,” said Singh who arrived in Lucknow, his Lok Sabha constituency, on a three-day visit on Saturday.
Ruling out any kind of energy crisis in the country due to the war, he said, “I am satisfied that the kind of atmosphere initially tried to be created in the country, nothing like that exists. I want to say before you all that the country has sufficient stock to deal with any crisis.”
“We have petrol, diesel, cooking gas – all available and we have adequate reserves. I repeat this, and the government is continuously ensuring that no crisis arises even after two-three months,” he said.
“No country is untouched by what is happening in West Asia. Even America is not untouched, serious crises are arising in America too. Despite all challenges, India has accepted those challenges and we have largely succeeded in overcoming them. For a short time, there may be a small shortage of something, I cannot deny that truth. But I think this is a global crisis,” Singh said.
“In this situation, we need to stand with full strength, patience, and courage. So I request you all not to pay attention to any rumours. And I assure you, no big crisis will arise in this country while our government is here. I remind you, when a mega-crisis like Covid came, we faced it. So we are fully ready to face whatever is going on in West Asia,” he asserted.
He added that the World Bank has said India is capable of handling any energy crisis.
“This is not my observation, it’s the World Bank’s observation. This decade has brought many challenges for the world,” he said.
Highlighting the country’s economic resilience, Singh stated, “The world is going through a global crisis, but even in this period, India is the fastest-growing economy. This is a matter of pride for us.”
Singh praised the development works carried out under the “double-engine” governments led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath, saying their contributions need no elaboration.
“There was a time when Uttar Pradesh was a hub of the mafia, but today it has become a hub of seers. Uttar Pradesh was once called a ‘BIMARU’ state, but now wherever you go, people say that to a large extent it has become an ‘Uttam Pradesh’ (developed state),” Singh said.
Regarding defence manufacturing, Singh announced that the production of the BrahMos missile has started in Lucknow, and the first batch has been handed over to the armed forces. He further mentioned that several ancillary units related to defence equipment are expected to be set up with support from the state government led by Adityanath.