India attended a virtual meeting chaired by Britain on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz New Delhi highlighted the impact of the Middle East crisis on India’s energy security India set to cap monthly domestic jet fuel price hike Infighting has erupted within AAP after the party replaced MP Raghav Chadha as deputy leader in Rajya Sabha A US-sanctioned tanker carrying Iranian crude has rerouted from India to China mid-voyage
Here is a roundup of development from India on Friday, April 3:
US-sanctioned Iran crude tanker reroutes from India to China mid-voyage
A tanker, sanctioned by the US, carrying Iranian crude has rerouted from India to China mid-voyage, media reports said on Friday, citing ship-tracking firm Kpler.
The Aframax tanker Ping Shun, which had signaled Vadinar in Gujarat as its destination, is now headed to Dongying in China, according to the ship-tracking data, media reports said.
Sumit Ritolia, Lead Research Analyst at Kpler, told The Times of India that the shift in destination might be linked to payment-related concerns.
On Thursday, Indian authorities said they were not aware of the tanker’s arrival at Indian ports. The cargo of about 600,000 barrels would have marked India’s first Iranian oil import since 2019, after the US waived sanctions.
Since the start of the war in Iran, six LPG carriers from the Gulf have reached India, while 18 India-flagged vessels are still stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the federal shipping ministry.
Growing divisions within AAP after Raghav Chadha dropped as upper house deputy leader
Infighting has erupted within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after it replaced Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha as deputy leader in the upper house, in what the party called an internal restructuring, according to local media.
Amid signs of a growing rift within the party, Chadha and other senior party leaders clashed over his removal and role within the party.
In a post on X, Chadha claimed that he was being silenced, saying, “Whenever I get a chance to speak in Parliament, I raise public issues… Is raising public issues a crime?”
“I am asking this question because the AAP told the Secretariat to stop Raghav Chadda from speaking in Parliament,” he said.
Within the party, Chadha is accused of taking a “soft” stance against the BJP.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, senior AAP leader, posted a video on X criticizing Chadha’s recent stance in Parliament. He accused Chadha of not questioning the Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not taking a stand on behalf of party leader Arvind Kejriwal.
“We were meant to raise people’s issues by looking the government in the eye,” Bharadwaj said, adding that Chadha’s “soft” stance does not hold the government accountable.
Chadha recently raised issues such as paternity leave, passenger compensation for flight delays and worsening traffic situation in India’s major cities in Parliament.
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India to cap monthly domestic aviation fuel price increase
India will cap monthly increases in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic flights at 25%, the government said in a statement on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Indian government had stepped in to limit the impact of record-high jet fuel prices on airlines and air fares as Indian public sector oil companies have more than doubled the price of aviation turbine fuel.
Prices in New Delhi have reached Rs 207,341.22 ($2,212 or €1,911) per kiloliter, Indian media reported, while the price of jet fuel for international flights has risen by 107%.
Indian oil companies determine the market price of aviation fuel and announce the revised rate on the first day of every month.
The hike is due in part to the disrupted fuel supply chain in the Middle East, and partly due to the Indian rupee’s worst performance in 14 years.
India calls for the reopening Strait of Hormuz at international meet
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called for “freedom of navigation and unimpeded transit through international waterways” at a virtual summit Thursday, chaired by the United Kingdom, on the Middle East crisis, according to a statement by India’s Foreign Ministry.
At the meeting, which was attended by more than 60 countries, Misri pointed out that “India remains the only country to have lost mariners in attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf,” the statement said.
Misri stressed the need for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy, as he highlighted the impact of the crisis on India’s energy security.
The UK convened the meeting to discuss reopening and securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but no concrete agreement was reached, officials said.
This comes even as concerns grow over rising oil prices and uncertainty about US involvement in ensuring maritime security.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump vowed to continue the attacks on Iran, but did not lay out a plan to reopen the vital waterway. Instead, he shifted responsibility to countries he said rely on oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Welcome to our coverage
Hi! This is Shakeel from DW’s New Delhi Studio bringing you the latest updates from across India.
The Iran war continues to roil global oil markets. India, along with a group of nations, is exploring ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without US involvement.
Fissures are appearing within the leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party with the party dropping Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha as the deputy leader in the upper house.
Meanwhile, do cooking gas cylinders hidden in a graveyard need to be exorcised first? Hyderabad police confiscated hundreds of them from a cemetery amid shortages due to the Iran war.
And also, if you were excited about the proposed 60% free-seat rule for flights — you may have to wait, as the government has put the plan on hold for now.
For all this and more, follow our India blog.
