Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 21 (ANI): Congress MP K Suresh on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Council of Ministers meeting, alleging that the government was not taking the ongoing West Asia crisis seriously despite rising prices of essential commodities.

Speaking to ANI, Suresh said the government had failed to take adequate measures to address the impact of the global situation on domestic prices.

'West Asia crisis is a serious issue, but the PM is not taking it seriously. The Government of India had also not taken any measures to prevent it. People are facing the heat of prices of essential commodities going up while the PM is busy travelling abroad,' Suresh said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair a meeting of the Council of Ministers at Sewa Teerth at 5 pm on Thursday, sources said. The meeting is being viewed as an important midterm review of the government's performance and is expected to be attended by Union Cabinet ministers, ministers of state with independent charge and ministers of state.

The meeting comes amid concerns over rising fuel prices and disruptions linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route.

Petrol and diesel prices were recently increased across the country for the second time in less than a week. In Delhi, petrol prices rose by 87 paise to Rs 98.64 per litre, while diesel prices increased by 91 paise to Rs 91.58 per litre.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had appealed to citizens to contribute towards economic resilience by reducing dependence on imported fuel and adopting environmentally sustainable alternatives, including greater use of public transport, carpooling and electric vehicles.

Meanwhile, reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks targeting the Prime Minister over his interaction with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his recent visit to Italy, Suresh defended the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha.

'Rahul Gandhi speaks the truth, that's why the BJP attacks him. They want to divert public attention from the PM's foreign visit amid the crisis,' he said.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Prime Minister, warning of an impending economic crisis due to rising global oil prices and tensions in West Asia. Referring to a viral video from PM Modi's Italy visit, Gandhi criticised the PM for gifting 'Melody' toffees to Meloni, saying the social media reel was insensitive at a time when people were struggling with inflation and rising fuel costs.

The Congress leader alleged that the country was heading towards a major economic crisis due to rising fuel prices and global tensions, which he said would adversely impact farmers and the common man.

The 'Melodi' trend, widely shared online, combines the names of Modi and Meloni and gained traction after the two leaders were seen interacting during the PM's visit to Rome.

PM Modi recently concluded a five-country official tour covering the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, during which India and Italy elevated their bilateral ties to a 'Special Strategic Partnership.' (ANI)