Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge sharply criticised the Modi government for its handling of the deepening energy crisis triggered by the West Asia conflict, demanding a comprehensive parliamentary discussion to reveal the truth to the public suffering from shortages. He highlighted the government's alleged incompetence despite foreknowledge of the war, noting failures to secure India's energy supplies amid disruptions like the Strait of Hormuz blockade affecting oil, gas, and LPG imports from key suppliers such as Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Kharge detailed widespread impacts including farmers facing fuel and fertilizer shortages, rationing of LPG cylinders with long queues at agencies, up to 25-day waits for domestic cylinders, and closures of restaurants alongside black marketing; he also pointed to stalled 60,000 tonnes of Basmati exports, disrupted wheat shipments, surging medicine prices from 30% raw material cost hikes, cascading pressures on textiles, aviation fuel, steel, ceramics, glass, FMCG and automobiles, drawing parallels to past denials during demonetisation and COVID mismanagement where initial assurances of quick resolutions proved false.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed these concerns outside Parliament, blaming BJP policies for soaring prices, unemployment, and public burdens like cooking gas hikes, while calling for meaningful House discussions, an immediate LPG price rollback, and the resignation of Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over alleged US pressures, including from President Donald Trump, influencing India's oil policy via Epstein files and Adani cases, leading to FIRs against Mahila Congress workers for raising questions. The Opposition staged walkouts in Rajya Sabha and protests in Lok Sabha after dissatisfaction with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's Monday statement on prioritizing de-escalation, dialogue, the safety of one crore Indians in the region, energy security, and trade amid the conflict's escalation since late February 2026.
In a parallel fiery Lok Sabha debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tore into the Opposition's resolution for Speaker Om Birla's removal, backed by 118 MPs accusing partisan behaviour, calling it unfortunate after four decades, defending the Speaker's constitutional neutrality and mutual trust in House proceedings while stressing adherence to rules over marketplace chaos. Shah targeted Rahul Gandhi for complaining about speaking opportunities despite frequent foreign absences like Germany trips, low attendance (43-51% vs. national averages of 66-80% across Lok Sabhas), and absurd demands like debating his own press conference, refuting Congress lies on farmer losses from India-US trade deals by blaming their 2013 WTO negotiations.
