Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India not only recovered from the severe fuel shortages caused by the West Asia crisis but actually turned the challenge into an opportunity by using “visionary policies” and its diplomatic strength effectively.
Speaking after inaugurating a refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Balotra, Rajasthan, PM Modi said the country made the right decisions at every step.
“India accurately assessed the crisis in time, devised an effective strategy, made balanced use of its resources, and positively used its diplomatic power. Only then has India been able to recover from this crisis,” he said.
The Prime Minister credited a decade of visionary policies for this success. He recalled how the project he laid the foundation stone for in 2017 had remained stuck during the Congress government’s tenure from 2018 to 2023.
“The country did not recover from such an unexpected challenge merely by chance. The success of the policies we have been implementing for the last ten years played a crucial role,” he added.
Highlighting the scale of the global problem, PM Modi said the war in West Asia had triggered the biggest energy crisis of the 21st century, leaving major countries struggling with fuel shortages.
“But the will and efforts of the new India of the 21st century have prevailed over this crisis,” he declared.
He pointed out that during the crisis, India began importing fuel from more than 40 countries, sending a clear message that the national interest and the welfare of its citizens come first.
“When the crisis began, India was importing fuel from 25-26 countries. The brilliance of India’s diplomacy and our good relations with other countries proved extremely helpful,” the Prime Minister noted.
PM Modi also spoke about the heavy burden shouldered by the government. “Between April and June alone, oil companies bore a loss of more than Rs 75,000 crore on diesel and petrol.
The government took this burden on the treasury. We also reduced excise duty by Rs 10 per litre so that the common man did not have to bear too much burden,” he said.
He criticised the Opposition for spreading rumours and creating fear. “A lot of rumours were spread, people were scared and incited, and political games were played. But those with malicious intentions could not succeed. Even in far-flung areas, apart from minor hiccups, there was no major challenge in fuel supply,” PM Modi said.
Concluding on an optimistic note, he said that while some were busy spreading panic, the quiet, determined work happening day and night at policy and diplomatic levels would one day be written in history.
