Cong says PM silent on Khamenei killing to avoid antagonising US, Israeli ‘friends’

The Indian National Congress on Friday criticised the Government of India for what it described as its silence over the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, alleging that the administration was reluctant to criticise the United States and Israel.

Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh said India had condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries but had not spoken about the initial US–Israeli military action against Iran, which he said resulted in Khamenei’s assassination on 28 February.

Posting on social media platform X, Ramesh said the prime minister and the external affairs minister had not publicly commented on the incident, and Parliament had not yet made an obituary reference to the Iranian leader.

He also pointed out that Iran is a member of the BRICS grouping, for which India currently holds the presidency.

Ramesh compared the government’s response with its reaction to the death of former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May 2024. At the time, India observed a day of mourning and Parliament later recorded an obituary reference.

Questioning the government’s position, Ramesh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was avoiding criticism of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Congress has also demanded a discussion in both Houses of Parliament on the situation in West Asia and its implications for India, accusing the government of refusing to allow a debate.

The opposition party staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha and protested in the Lok Sabha earlier this week after expressing dissatisfaction with a statement by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the regional crisis.

Congress leaders described Jaishankar’s remarks as inadequate and criticised what they called the government’s foreign policy approach.

In his statement to Parliament, Jaishankar said India supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region and was closely monitoring the evolving situation.

He also defended the government’s decision to allow an Iranian vessel to dock at an Indian port on humanitarian grounds.

Jaishankar added that New Delhi’s top priorities remained the safety of Indian citizens and the protection of national interests, including energy security and trade.

According to the minister, around 67,000 Indians stranded in the conflict zone have already been brought back as part of ongoing evacuation efforts.

With PTI inputs