Sonia Slams Govt Silence on Khamenei Killing

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi has sharply criticised the Indian government for what she described as a “surprising and disappointing silence” over the reported assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it “not neutrality but an abdication of responsibility.” In a detailed article dated March 1, Gandhi noted that Iran confirmed Khamenei was killed in a targeted strike allegedly carried out by the United States and Israel during an ongoing diplomatic process, terming it a grave blow to international norms and a dangerous sign of cracks in the global order.

She questioned why New Delhi neither condemned the assassination nor clearly addressed what she described as a violation of Iran’s sovereignty, while only reacting to Iran’s retaliatory action against the UAE. Citing Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and Article 51 of the Indian Constitution, she argued that targeted killing of a sitting head of state without a formal declaration of war undermines established international law and the principles that have long guided India’s foreign policy.

Gandhi also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel and India’s growing ties with Tel Aviv, warning that open support without a principled moral stand could damage India’s credibility, especially among Global South nations and BRICS partners such as Russia and China. Recalling Iran’s past support to India during the 1994 UN Human Rights Commission episode on Kashmir and longstanding cooperation including access near Zahedan, she stressed that India’s strategic interests and the safety of nearly 10 million Indians in Gulf countries depend on maintaining an independent, balanced posture rooted in non-alignment and strategic autonomy. 

Gandhi demanded a full parliamentary debate in the upcoming session on the targeted killing, the government’s response, and the broader implications for international law, sovereignty and stability in West Asia, asserting that remaining silent at a time when the rules-based order is under strain contradicts India’s commitment to “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and weakens its moral standing globally.