Sanjay Raut criticises PM Modi’s absence from all-party meeting on West Asia war

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending the all-party meeting called amid the ongoing West Asia war, reported the ANI.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri briefing participants.

Raut asked, "Why did PM Modi not attend the all-party meeting? Mr Prime Minister, such a major crisis is unfolding in the world and in the country, and if the Prime Minister does not attend an all-party meeting and you start having the Parliamentary Affairs Minister give the answers, what kind of a new tradition is this?" according to the ANI.

Opposition concerns

All major parties except the Trinamool Congress (TMC) attended the meeting. Opposition leaders, including Congress's Mukul Wasnik and Tariq Anwar, Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav and Javed Ali, CPI(M)'s John Brittas, DMK's P. Wilson, and AAP's Sanjay Singh, raised questions on India's handling of the crisis.

Raut expressed doubts about whether opposition concerns were adequately considered. "It is hoped that all parties will support the government during this time of crisis. But is the government taking into consideration the concerns being raised by the opposition?" he asked as per ANI.

Government briefing

During the meeting, the Centre reassured parties that India remains on strong footing amid regional tensions. The officials discussed key issues including energy security, shipping logistics and safety of Indian citizens abroad. They also highlighted ongoing diplomatic outreach in the region and measures to maintain supply chains and ensure citizen evacuations.

Raut on PM Modi's global popularity

Raut also expressed skepticism over a recent survey that ranked PM Modi as the world's most popular leader with a 68 percent approval rating. "Whose survey is this? It must be a BJP survey… I don't know where they bring these figures from by performing this ‘black magic,'" he said, referring to the data released by US-based analytics firm 'Morning Consult', as reported by ANI.

The survey placed PM Modi at the top globally, underlining his domestic popularity and international recognition, ahead of other leaders in major world economies.

(With ANI Inputs)