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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar faced pointed questions from MPs over the government’s West Asia policy during a meeting of the parliamentary consultative committee for external affairs on Monday, reported Hindustan Times quoting people familiar with the discussions.

The closed-door meeting focused on India’s relations with West Asia and was chaired by Jaishankar. It was also attended by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) Sripriya Ranganathan.

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

MPs Question India’s Stand On Iran

The members questioned why the government had refrained from formally condemning Khamenei’s killing. They also criticised what they described as a perception that India had been seen as being in “Israel’s corner”, according to people familiar with the meeting.

The discussions also covered the wider conflicts across West Asia and the situation that has persisted since the Hamas attacks in October 2023. MPs raised questions about the government’s broader response to the continuing turmoil in the region.

The concerns reflected wider questions over how India is balancing its relationships with countries across a deeply divided and conflict-ridden West Asia.

Mecca Defence Pact Also Comes Up

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7, was another issue discussed during the meeting.

MPs pointed to the open-ended nature of the agreement and also raised concerns about Bangladesh exploring the possibility of joining the arrangement, people familiar with the matter said.

The pact’s emergence added another dimension to the discussion on the evolving strategic dynamics in the region and their implications for India.

Jaishankar Defends Government’s West Asia Approach

In a social media post following the meeting, Jaishankar said he had highlighted India’s “close ties with the Gulf & WANA [West Asia and North Africa] region”.

He also underlined India’s longstanding partnerships and cooperation with countries in the region across trade, investments, energy, maritime affairs and people-to-people ties.

As per the report, people familiar with the discussions said Jaishankar defended the government’s approach, arguing that India needed to work with all the key players in the region. The minister’s response came amid questions from MPs over how New Delhi should navigate its relationships across West Asia while dealing with the region’s continuing conflicts and shifting alliances.