Sonia Gandhi questions Modi’s Israel visit, criticises Centre’s ‘silence’ on Khamenei killing

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has questioned the timing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel and criticised the Centre’s response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In an article, she described the government’s silence on the incident as “disturbing” and called for a parliamentary debate on India’s stance regarding the escalating Iran conflict.

Gandhi argued that silence on such an issue cannot be considered neutral, stating that it raises concerns about the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy. Referring to Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, she said the targeted killing of a sitting head of state violates international principles that prohibit the use of force against the sovereignty and political independence of nations.

She also questioned the timing of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Modi’s recent engagement with Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gandhi said India’s “high-profile political endorsement” without moral clarity marks a troubling shift from the country’s traditional diplomatic position.

Recalling former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s outreach to Iran in 2001, Gandhi emphasised India’s longstanding ties with Tehran and its policy of maintaining balanced relations in West Asia. She urged the government to rediscover the moral strength of India’s non-aligned foreign policy tradition and called for an open parliamentary discussion on the issue.