Sonia Gandhi said – Modi government’s silence on Khamenei’s murder is not neutrality, but shirking responsibility.

Bureau Prayagraj- Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi has cornered the central government on the issue of targeted killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He said that the silence of the Indian government on this serious international development is a matter of concern and it cannot be called neutrality.

In an article published in ‘Indian Express’, Sonia Gandhi wrote that on March 1, Iran confirmed that its supreme leader was assassinated in targeted strikes carried out by the US and Israel the day before. He described it as an action taken at a time when negotiations were going on.

Sonia Gandhi said that such assassination of a ruling head of state is a sign of serious breakdown in international relations. He demanded a discussion on this entire issue in Parliament. Sonia Gandhi said – Modi government’s silence on Khamenei’s murder is not neutrality, but shirking responsibility.

Sonia Gandhi alleged that the Indian government neither condemned the killing nor responded clearly to the violation of Iran’s sovereignty. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi initially criticized only Iran’s retaliation against UAE without mentioning the US-Israeli attacks.

He also said that the Prime Minister later expressed deep concern and called for the usual dialogue and diplomacy, whereas the same process was underway before the attacks.

Sonia Gandhi mentioned Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations in her article. According to him, killing a head of state without a formal declaration of war and during a diplomatic process is contrary to the spirit that prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country.

He argued that if principled objections were not lodged in such cases by the world’s largest democracy, the erosion of international standards would become common.

Sonia Gandhi also noted that 48 hours before the assassination the Prime Minister had returned from a visit to Israel, where he reiterated support for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At a time when many countries of the Global South and BRICS partners were maintaining distance, India’s stance may send the wrong message. He said that this raises serious questions on the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy.