Modi holds meeting with CMs to review preparedness over Middle East crisis, emphasises 'Team India' spirit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a review meeting with chief ministers of all non-poll-bound states to assess preparedness and response plans in the wake of the escalating Middle East conflict.

The virtual meeting was aimed at ensuring coordinated action and synergy among states in line with the spirit of 'Team India'.

This is the first such interaction convened by the Prime Minister with chief ministers on the Middle East crisis, which began on February 28 following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran. The conflict has since intensified, with Iran retaliating by launching strikes targeting Israel and parts of the Gulf region.

Those chief ministers who attended the meeting included N Chandra Babu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), Bhupendra Patel (Gujarat), Omar Abdullah (Jammu and Kashmir), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), Pema Khandu (Arunachal Pradesh), among others.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah were also present in the meeting.

"The prime minister interacted with the chief ministers through video conferencing on the Middle East conflict and reviewed preparedness and plans of the states. The meeting focused on ensuring synergy of efforts in the spirit of Team India," PTI reported, citing a source. 

The chief ministers of election-bound states were not part of this meeting due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Cabinet Secretariat is going to hold a separate meeting with the chief secretaries of poll-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

On March 25, the government held an all-party meeting to brief the leaders of the political parties about the situation in the Middle East, where a detailed presentation was given about the steps taken by the government to deal with the situation.

While making a statement in Lok Sabha on March 23, the prime minister had said that the difficult global conditions caused by the Middle East conflict are likely to persist for a long time and called upon the nation to remain prepared and united, just as it had stood together during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modi also drew the attention of the House to the internal security dimension of the crisis, warning that certain elements attempt to exploit such situations. He said all security agencies have been placed on alert and that security across all domains, coastal, border, cyber and strategic installations is being further strengthened. "Whether it is coastal security, border security, cyber security or strategic installations, the security of all is being reinforced," he had said.

Urging patience, restraint and vigilance, and cautioning against those who may seek to exploit the situation by spreading falsehoods, engaging in black-marketing or hoarding, Modi appealed to all state governments to ensure strict monitoring and swift action against such elements.

Expressing his abiding faith in the collective resolve of the nation, the prime minister, in his speech in the Lok Sabha, also said that when every government and every citizen of this country walk together, "we can challenge every challenge, this is our identity, and this is our strength".