PM addresses concerns over West Asia conflict and political remarks

PTI, March 29, 2026, Palakkad (Kerala) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his government is working to limit the impact of the West Asia war on India, while accusing the Congress of making “dangerous” remarks that could put Indians living in the Gulf at risk for political gain.

Speaking at a massive NDA election rally here, Modi said many people from Kerala are working in conflict-hit regions and stressed that their safety remains a top priority. “At this time, everyone’s attention is on the war going on in West Asia. Our government is continuously working to ensure that its impact on India is minimal,” he said, in an apparent reference to the safety of Indians living in the Gulf and India’s dependence on crude oil and gas from conflict-affected regions.

Highlighting ongoing diplomatic efforts, Modi added, “Since the beginning of the war, I have been in constant touch with the heads of all these countries. All nations are giving priority to the safety of Indians stranded in the conflict zones.”

He said Indian embassies are working round the clock to support citizens abroad. “To ensure that our brothers and sisters there do not face any hardship, Indian embassies are also working day and night. The protection of Indians’ interests is the top priority for the BJP-NDA government,” he said.

Targeting the Congress in poll-bound Kerala, from where lakhs of people work in Gulf countries, the Prime Minister said, “You must also remember the kind of statements the Congress is making on this sensitive issue — they are dangerous.”

“Congress wants the lives of nearly one crore Indians living in Gulf countries to be put at risk, so that it can gain political advantage from it,” Modi said.

Modi’s statement comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked his government’s handling of the West Asia crisis.

Asked about reports of Pakistan being an intermediary between the US, Israel and Iran, and India’s stand on the West Asia crisis, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had told reporters that India’s foreign policy was Prime Minister Modi’s personal foreign policy and that its outcomes were evident, with many considering it a “universal joke”.

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