On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticized the Modi government's silence regarding the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gandhi stated that this lack of response was an abdication, not neutrality, and called into question the direction and credibility of India's foreign policy. She argued that a targeted killing of a head of state necessitated a clear defense of sovereignty and international law, principles she felt were abandoned. Gandhi further suggested that the government's current reticence contradicted India's stated ideals, such as vasudhaiva kutumbakam ('the world is one family'), and diverged from past diplomatic approaches, including those seen during the Vajpayee administration regarding long-standing international relations.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-govts-silence-on-khamenei-assassination-not-neutral-but-abdication-sonia/article70697774.ece
