Govt’s silence is not neutral, says Sonia Gandhi on Khamenei’s killing; recalls Iran’s 1994 stance on Kashmir

New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has criticised the Central government’s silence regarding the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the joint US-Israel airstrikes.

She stated that the lack of any official statement on this matter is not neutral; rather, it amounts to an “abdication” of responsibility.

Gandhi also highlighted Tehran’s support for New Delhi at the UN when the Kashmir topic was raised in 1994.

In an op-ed published in The Indian Express, titled ‘Government’s silence on killing of Iran leader is not neutral, it is abdication’, Sonia Gandhi said, “The killing of a sitting head of state in the midst of ongoing negotiations marks a grave rupture in contemporary international relations. Yet, beyond the shock of the event, what stands out equally starkly is New Delhi’s silence.”

The Government of India, she said, has “refrained from condemning the assassination or the violation of Iranian sovereignty”.

“Initially, ignoring the massive US-Israeli onslaught, the Prime Minister confined himself to condemning Iran’s retaliatory strike on the UAE, without addressing the sequence of events that preceded it. Later, he uttered platitudes about his ‘deep concern’ and talked of ‘dialogue and diplomacy’ — which is precisely what was underway before the massive unprovoked attacks launched by Israel and the US,” she said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on the West Asia conflict.

“When the targeted killing of a foreign leader draws no clear defence of sovereignty or international law from our country and impartiality is abandoned, it raises serious doubts about the direction and credibility of our foreign policy, she added.

Stressing that “Silence, in this instance, is not neutral”, Sonia Gandhi asserted that the assassination was carried out “without a formal declaration of war and during an ongoing diplomatic process”.

She stated that Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. “A targeted killing of a serving head of state strikes at the heart of these principles. If such acts pass without principled objection from the world’s largest democracy, the erosion of international norms becomes easier to normalise,” she said.

The Congress Rajya Sabha member also slammed the Prime Minister for his “unequivocal support” of the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the Gaza conflict, and said that India’s “high-profile political endorsement without moral clarity marks a visible and troubling departure”.

She further reiterated Congress’ stand on the assassination of the Iranian Supreme Leader, calling the act a “dangerous escalation with grave regional and global consequences”.

Sonia Gandhi further recalled how, in 1994, when sections within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation were advancing a resolution against India at the UN Commission on Human Rights over Kashmir, Iran made a significant effort to block that effort.

She also mentioned that Iran has enabled India’s diplomatic presence in Zahedan near the Pakistan border, which is considered a strategic counter-balance to the development of Gwadar port and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

She also recalled that in 2001, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Tehran and reaffirmed “deep ties” with Iran; however, she said, “His acknowledgement of those long-standing relations seems to hold no relevance for our central government.”

“India’s ties with Israel have, in recent years, expanded across defence, agriculture and technology. It is precisely because India maintains relations with both Tehran and Tel Aviv that it possesses diplomatic space to urge restraint. But such space depends on credibility. Credibility, in turn, rests on the perception that India speaks from principle rather than expediency,” she said.

Expressing concerns over the Indian citizens in the Gulf nations, which are currently under attack, Gandhi said, “India’s ability to safeguard its citizens has rested on its credibility as an independent actor, not as a proxy.”

The CPP chairperson said that the targeted killing of a foreign head of state, the “erosion of international norms”, and the widening instability in West Asia are “not peripheral matters; they touch directly upon India’s strategic interests and moral commitments. A clear articulation of India’s position is overdue. Democratic accountability demands no less, and strategic clarity requires it”.

Emphasising India’s message of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family”, Gandhi said, “That civilisational ethos is not a slogan for ceremonial diplomacy; it implies a commitment to justice, restraint and dialogue, even when doing so is inconvenient. At moments when the rules-based order is under visible strain, silence is abdication. India has long aspired to be more than a regional power; it has sought to serve as the conscience-keeper of the world.”

“That stature was built on a willingness to speak for sovereignty, peace, non-violence and justice even when doing so was inconvenient. At this moment, there is an urgent need for us to rediscover that moral strength and articulate it with clarity and commitment,” she added.

IANS