Jaishankar Faces Tough Questions From MPs Over India’s West Asia Policy, ‘Israel’s Corner’ Perception

The government faced pointed questions over its West Asia policy during a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee on external affairs chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday, people familiar with the discussions said.

The closed-door meeting focused on India’s relations with West Asia, Jaishankar said in a social media post. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary for Overseas Indian Affairs Sripriya Ranganathan also attended.

Several MPs questioned the government’s approach to the region, particularly following US and Israeli military strikes on Iran in February that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider conflict, the people said.

According to those familiar with the meeting, MPs questioned New Delhi’s decision not to formally condemn Khamenei’s killing and raised concerns over a perception that India had tilted towards Israel.

The members also expressed concern over the continuing conflicts across West Asia, the situation since the Hamas attacks in October 2023 and the government’s broader response to the developments in the region.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7 also came up for discussion. MPs raised concerns over the pact’s open-ended nature and noted Bangladesh’s reported interest in joining the arrangement.

Jaishankar said he highlighted India’s “close ties with the Gulf & WANA [West Asia and North Africa] region”, including longstanding partnerships in trade, investment, energy, maritime cooperation and people-to-people ties.

People familiar with the discussions said Jaishankar defended the government’s approach, stressing that India needs to engage and work with all key players in the region.