Congress slams Modi govt’s silence on US bombing
text_fieldsNew Delhi: The Congress on Monday criticised US President Donald Trump’s decision to launch airstrikes on Iran, calling it a "mockery" of his own calls for continued dialogue. The party also took aim at the Modi government for remaining silent in the face of US bombing and Israeli aggression, saying it failed to either condemn or criticise the escalating violence.
Reiterating the urgent need for diplomacy, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh emphasised that meaningful engagement with Iran is essential to restoring regional stability.
"The Indian National Congress reiterates the absolute essentiality of immediate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran. The Government of India must demonstrate greater moral courage than it has so far," he said.
"The Modi Government has unequivocally neither criticised nor condemned the US bombing and Israel's aggression, bombings and targeted assassinations," Ramesh said on X.
"It has also maintained a deafening silence on the genocide being perpetrated on the Palestianians in Gaza," he added.
The remarks came in the aftermath of US airstrikes on Iran’s key nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—effectively drawing Washington into the Israel-Iran conflict.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s “deep concern” over the escalating tensions in a conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, urging swift de-escalation through “dialogue and diplomacy.”
The US strikes have sparked global alarm, with several countries and international blocs warning of the potential for a broader regional crisis and calling for restraint on all sides.
Ahead of the US airstrikes on Iran, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi sharply criticised the Indian government's silence on the crises in Gaza and Iran, calling it “not just a loss of voice, but a surrender of values.”
In a strongly worded article titled “It is still not too late for India’s voice to be heard,” Gandhi accused the Modi government of abandoning India’s historic and principled support for a peaceful two-state solution—envisioning an independent Palestine coexisting with Israel.
She also took aim at US President Donald Trump, denouncing what she described as a “destructive path” in West Asia, especially after his earlier condemnation of America’s perpetual wars.
(inputs from PTI)