Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 3: In a strongly worded critique of the Narendra Modi-led government, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday termed the Centre’s silence on the reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as “deeply troubling”, asserting that neutrality in such a moment amounts to abdication of principle.
Writing in The Indian Express, Gandhi said the targeted killing of a sitting head of state during ongoing diplomatic engagement represents a grave rupture in international relations and demands an unambiguous response rooted in international law and India’s long-standing diplomatic values.
She noted that the Government of India has neither condemned the assassination nor addressed concerns relating to violation of sovereignty, adding that such silence raises serious questions about the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy.
Gandhi observed that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over escalating tensions, he did not directly comment on the sequence of events leading to the assassination. She argued that failing to defend core principles such as territorial integrity and non-intervention weakens India’s moral standing on the global stage.
Citing Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, she maintained that targeted killings of this nature undermine established international norms.
“If the world’s largest democracy does not voice principled concern, the erosion of global order becomes easier to normalise,” she cautioned.
Demanding transparency and accountability, Gandhi said the matter must be debated openly when Parliament reconvenes for the second leg of the Budget session. She stressed that issues of such geopolitical magnitude directly impact India’s strategic interests and cannot be sidelined.
She also referred to Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Israel and his engagement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that India’s growing ties with Israel must not come at the cost of balanced diplomacy.
While acknowledging that India’s relations with Israel have expanded in defence, agriculture and technology, Gandhi underlined that New Delhi also shares longstanding civilisational and diplomatic ties with Iran. She recalled former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 2001 visit to Tehran, during which he reaffirmed strong bilateral relations.
Emphasising the strategic dimension, Gandhi pointed out that nearly 10 million Indians reside and work in the Gulf region, and India’s credibility as an independent and principled actor has historically enabled it to safeguard its diaspora during times of conflict.
She reiterated that India’s foreign policy tradition, rooted in peaceful settlement of disputes and sovereign equality, must guide its response to the unfolding crisis.
“A clear articulation of India’s position is overdue. Democratic accountability demands no less, and strategic clarity requires it,” Gandhi asserted, calling upon the government to reaffirm its commitment to justice, restraint and dialogue in line with India’s civilisational ethos of vasudhaiva kutumbakam.