Priyanka Gandhi (ANI)
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday criticised the Modi government for what she described as its silence following the deaths of three Indian mariners in a US attack on a commercial vessel near the Gulf of Oman.In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said the government’s response to the incident was “shameful” and argued that the United States should have apologised for the deaths of the Indian sailors. “The Modi government’s silence after the killing of three Indian sailors in an American attack is shameful. Instead of expressing regret over these murders and tendering apology, America is resorting to the language of threats and orders,” she wrote.She added that India must firmly assert its status as a sovereign nation capable of protecting its interests.Congress leaders demand stronger responseSeveral Congress leaders echoed similar concerns. Party leader Pawan Khera said the government should have demanded an apology from the United States.“There are international laws. You can’t attack a commercial vessel of a third country in a conflict,” he said, ANI reported. Referring to EAM S Jaishankar’s statement, Khera said India’s response appeared too mild given the loss of Indian lives.Congress MP Manish Tewari also criticised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments saying that he lacked empathy and was unnecessarily confrontational.He urged Jaishankar to publicly disclose details of the conversation and clarify India’s position.What Rubio and Jaishankar saidEAM Jaishankar conveyed India’s ‘strong protest’ to Rubio over the US Navy actions that resulted in the deaths of three Indian mariners.He described such attacks on commercial shipping as unjustified.However, it followed a statement by the US state department stressing that all commercial vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz must immediately comply with instructions issued by US forces.The statement also warned that violations of the US blockade and the transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated.What’s the incident?Three Indian sailors were killed after the US military struck the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello in the Gulf of Oman, alleging that the vessel had violated its blockade on Iranian ports.The tanker was carrying 24 Indian crew members when it came under attack while transiting waters near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed that all three sailors who were initially reported missing have been declared dead and that their bodies will be brought back to India.The incident is the latest in a series of attacks involving commercial vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
