Congress on Thursday criticised the BJP-led central government over its silence on the US submarine attack on an Iranian warship that was returning after participating in Indian Navy’s Milan exercise.
The Iranian Navy frigate was struck by a torpedo fired by a US Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine in the Indian Ocean Region, off the Sri Lankan coast but uncomfortably close to India's maritime neighbourhood. At least 100 people are feared dead after the attack on early Wednesday.
Reiterating his allegations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being "compromised," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi pointed out the attack on the Iranian warship to claim India's strategic autonomy has been "surrendered."
"The conflict has reached our backyard, with an Iranian warship sunk in the Indian Ocean. Yet the Prime Minister has said nothing. At a moment like this, we need a steady hand at the wheel. Instead, India has a compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy," he said in a post on X.
Questioning the Indian government's silence on the attack, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh accused it of being "timid and fearful."
Noting that the ship was returning after participating in Indian navy's multilateral exercise MILAN, inaugurated by the Union Defense Minister on February 19, Ramesh called the incident "all the more extraordinary."
"The Iranian warship was on its way back to its home country. This U.S. action also carries significant implications for India, and it is astonishing that there has been no official response to it so far," he said.
Further targeting the Indian government over lack of response on the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes, Ramesh said, "Perhaps this should not come as a surprise either, as the Modi government has yet to break its silence on the targeted killing that took place in Iran. Never before has the Indian government appeared so timid and fearful."
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said India's strength lies in its independent voice, not in "subservience" to any power.
"From Nehru's Non-Aligned Movement to Indira Gandhi's fearless diplomacy, India has never bowed to pressure from any superpower," he said.
"Remaining silent on such unilateral actions by the United States goes against India's ethos.. and the pride of our armed forces," he said.
"If we are the true protectors of the Indian Ocean, we must put our autonomy and the safety of our guests above all else," he added.
The Iranian vessel, IRIS Dena, issued a distress call south of Sri Lanka soon after the strike, triggering a search and rescue operation in which 32 injured sailors were evacuated from a crew of about 180. Around 87 have been confirmed dead, while dozens remain missing, pushing the potential toll to over 100.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Thursday said it is deliberating appropriate action after a second Iranian ship, waiting in the island country's Extended Economic Zone (EEZ), has sought entry into its territorial waters, fearing potential attacks from the US.