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PM Modi thanks Gulf countries for helping over 10 million Indians amid conflict
The Indian premier warned that there is 'no place for self-serving politics'
- PUBLISHED: Sun 29 Mar 2026, 4:42 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he was deeply grateful to the Gulf countries, which are providing all assistance to more than 10 million Indians living there during the ongoing crisis.
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Modi, who was addressing the nation in his weekly Mann Ki Baat programme, said: "These nations are home to the relatives of thousands of families, especially those who work in the Gulf. I am grateful to the Gulf countries for providing every kind of assistance to over one crore (10 million) Indians there.”
According to him, a crisis is developing around the world regarding petrol and diesel. “Our global relations, the support we receive from various countries, and the strengths we have built over the past decade have enabled India to face these challenges resolutely,” he said. “These are certainly challenging times. Today, through ‘Mann Ki Baat', I will once again urge all my countrymen that we must unite and overcome this challenge.”
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The Indian premier warned that there is “no place for self-serving politics".
"All those politicising the issue should not do it. This issue is connected to the interests of 140 crore (1.4 billion) Indians, and there is no place for self-serving politics. All those spreading rumours are causing great harm to the country,” he added.
Modi pointed out that the month of March has been eventful at the global level; in 2020, there was Covid and the world had to deal with it for a long period.
“We all anticipated that the globe would resume its progress after overcoming the pandemic. However, conditions of war and conflict continued to emerge in different regions of the world. Currently, a fierce war has been going on for a month in our neighbourhood.”
He also referred to the shortage of petrol and diesel caused by the crisis. While crude oil prices have shot up globally, the Indian government has lowered excise duty on petrol and diesel and is accelerating the expansion of the piped natural gas infrastructure in the country, he added.
