Navy escorting tankers from Strait of Hormuz, no dearth of fuel or gas in country, says defence minister | India News
Rajnath Singh Thursday said that “there is no dearth of fuel or gas in the country” and that India is ready to face the energy crisis resulting from the ongoing West Asian conflict.In the first official acknowledgment of a TOI report that Dr Indian Navy Launching ‘Operation Urja Suraksha’ to provide security for India-bound cargo ships in the disputed region, Rajnath announced that “our Navy is safely evacuating Indian tankers from the Strait of Hormuz”, a key flashpoint for maritime trade during the Gulf conflict.Speaking at a Saiyan Samman conference in poll-centered Kerala, the minister also said that “Prime Minister Modi is using his diplomatic skills to protect Indian interests in the Gulf region”. “We are closely monitoring the situation in West Asia and are ready to face any eventuality,” Rajnath said. The minister said the opposition was indulging in ‘petty politics’ instead of standing with the nation in this crisis.Addressing the flag-off ceremony for the 2nd edition of IOS SAGAR in Mumbai, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said, “Competition at sea is no longer limited to oil and energy. It is now expanding to resources that will shape future growth — such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data.”“As a result, there has been a significant increase in marine surveys, deep-sea research activities and illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, often violating the sovereign rights of coastal nations and exploiting monitoring and enforcement gaps,” the navy chief said.
