TMC Boycotts All-Party Meeting Chaired By Defence Minister on West Asia Crisis, Opposition Questions PM Modi's Absence

New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress said that is not going to participate in the all party meeting to be chaired by Defence Minister at 5 pm on Wednesday on the West Asia crisis.

In the highly-anticipated meeting, the Foreign and Petroleum Secretaries are slated to brief all the leaders. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju will be attend the meeting from the government's side.

Earlier in the day, the BJP and the Opposition traded barbs over the Centre's decision to convene an all-party meeting on the West Asia crisis. The Opposition called it a delayed move, and even raised questions why Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending the crucial meeting. The BJP, on the other hand, accused the Opposition of politicising the global crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's addressed the Parliament on the West Asia crisis on Tuesday.

Opposition parties said the meeting was long overdue and questioned the prime minister's "absence", noting that such discussions during major global crises have traditionally been led by the PM.

Congress whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, also criticised the government's foreign policy, saying that the government appeared to be compromised. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh chaired a review meeting in the wake of recent global and regional security events, and to review India's defence preparedness.

CDS General Anil Chauhan, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir Kamat, and others were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the war in West Asia has entered its fourth week, blocking the Strait of Hormuz and choking energy supply lines. The conflict flared up after the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28. (With ANI inputs)

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