New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to take a clear and moral stand amid escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran saying that “silence now diminishes India’s standing in the world”.
“Escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran are pushing a fragile region toward wider conflict. Crores of people, including nearly a crore Indians, face uncertainty,” the former Congress chief said in a post on X.
He said that “while security concerns are real, attacks that violate sovereignty will only worsen the crisis”.
Rahul Gandhi said that the unilateral attacks on Iran, as well as Iran’s attacks on other Middle Eastern nations, must be condemned.
“Violence begets violence – dialogue and restraint remain the only path to peace,” the Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli said.
“India must be morally clear. We should have the courage to speak plainly in defence of international law and human lives. Our foreign policy is rooted in sovereignty and the peaceful resolution of disputes – and it must remain consistent,” he noted.
“PM Modi must speak up. Does he support the assassination of a head of state as a way to define the world order? Silence now diminishes India’s standing in the world,” he said.
His remarks came amid the US and Israel conducted airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28, targeting military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure.
These strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.
Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said that limited flight operations have resumed from Dubai amid continued airspace disruptions in the region.
The government has so far not said any official word condemning the killing of the Iranian leader.
On Monday, speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in New Delhi, PM Modi expressed concern over the escalating conflicts globally and said India has always supported peace and stability and believes that disputes must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Modi spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and strongly criticised the Iranian attacks. On Monday, PM Modi said he spoke with Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and condemned the attacks on both these countries by Iran.
ENDs
