'Silence not neutral': Sonia Gandhi slams Centre over Khamenei's assassination
What's the story
Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has criticized the Indian government's silence around the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a column for The Indian Express, she called this silence an "abdication" and not "neutral." She reminded that India's relations with Iran are both "civilizational as well as strategic," and recalled how Tehran has supported India in the past.
Critique of response
Gandhi criticizes Modi's response to the situation
Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his initial reaction to the situation. She said he condemned Iran's retaliatory strike on the UAE but didn't address the hypothetical US-Israeli attacks on Khamenei. Later, she said, he spoke of "deep concern" and "dialogue and diplomacy," which were already underway before the attacks. This lack of clear defense for sovereignty or international law raises doubts about India's foreign policy direction, she argued.
Erosion of norms
'India's silence on such actions could lead to normalization...'
Gandhi stressed that if such actions go unopposed by India, it could lead to the normalization of erosion of international norms. She also pointed out that just days before the assassination of Khamenei, PM Modi visited Israel and expressed support for Benjamin Netanyahu's government amid global outrage over civilian casualties in Gaza. This endorsement without moral clarity is a departure from India's diplomatic identity, she said.
Historical support
Iran has supported India in the past, says Gandhi
Gandhi also recalled how Iran helped India in 1994 when the OIC tried to table a resolution against it at the UN Commission on Human Rights over Kashmir. She also mentioned Iran's role in facilitating India's diplomatic presence in Zahedan, near Pakistan. The Congress leader stressed that India's ties with both Tehran and Tel Aviv give it diplomatic space to urge restraint, but this depends on credibility.
Call for debate
Call for parliamentary debate and emphasis on peaceful foreign policy
Gandhi has called for a parliamentary debate on the issue when the Budget session reconvenes. She stressed that India's foreign policy should be based on the peaceful settlement of disputes and sovereign equality. The former Congress chief ended by saying that India's invocation of "vasudhaiva kutumbakam" should not just be ceremonial but a commitment to justice, restraint, and dialogue.