Key facts
- Three Indian mariners were killed in a US attack on a commercial vessel in West Asia.
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the incident.
- Kharge accused the Modi government of undermining India's global standing and sovereignty.
- The US conveyed to India that commercial vessels must comply with US orders in the Strait of Hormuz and that illicit transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar protested the US actions to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Congress leader Manish Tewari criticized Rubio's remarks as belligerent.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence following the deaths of three Indian mariners in a US attack on a commercial vessel in West Asia. Kharge stated that the Modi government is "belittling India's global standing and sovereignty" and that "national interests are being surrendered on a daily basis."
Kharge's remarks come after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly stressed to India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar that commercial vessels must comply with US military orders in the Strait of Hormuz to uphold peace and security, and that violations of the US blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated. Jaishankar had previously conveyed India's strong protest over the attacks to Rubio, describing them as unjustified.
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also criticized Modi, accusing him of acting like an "obedient servant" to the US. Congress leader Manish Tewari further slammed Rubio's remarks as "abrupt, abrasive confrontational." US President Donald Trump had accused Iran of drone attacks on Indian ships, which Iran denied.