New Delhi, March 3 (UNI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday drew attention to an editorial column written by Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, sharply criticising the union government’s response to the reported killing of Iran’s sitting head of state during ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
‎Sharing excerpts from the column published in a national daily, Priyanka Gandhi, in a post on X, underscored what she described as the moral and diplomatic implications of India’s silence on the incident.
‎“The killing of a sitting head of state in the midst of ongoing negotiations marks a grave rupture in contemporary international relations. Yet, beyond the shock of the event, what stands out equally starkly is New Delhi's silence,” Sonia Gandhi wrote in the article titled ‘Government's silence on killing of Iran leader is not neutral, it is abdication’.
‎In her column, Sonia Gandhi argued that the assassination of a head of state during a period of active negotiations represents a dangerous escalation with far-reaching consequences for global diplomacy and international law.
‎Calling the government’s response, or lack thereof, deeply troubling, she wrote that “silence in moments such as these cannot be mistaken for strategic neutrality. It risks being perceived as moral abdication.”
‎The CPP Chairperson contended that India, with its longstanding commitment to non-alignment, dialogue, and respect for sovereignty, must articulate a clear position when foundational principles of international relations are challenged.
‎Sonia Gandhi’s piece also invoked India’s historical role in championing peaceful coexistence and multilateralism. She suggested that remaining silent at a time when international norms are under strain weakens India’s moral authority on the global stage.
‎“India has never been a mute spectator when international law and sovereign integrity are undermined,” she wrote, adding that the country’s voice has traditionally carried weight in moments of geopolitical turbulence.
‎Priyanka Gandhi, in amplifying the column, signalled the Congress party’s broader concern over what it sees as an erosion of India’s independent foreign policy stance.
‎The remarks are expected to intensify political debate over the government’s handling of foreign policy matters, particularly in West Asia, where India maintains significant strategic and economic interests.
‎While the government has not issued a detailed response to the criticism at the time of writing, the Congress leadership’s intervention places renewed focus on India’s diplomatic posture amid escalating global tensions.
‎Sonia Gandhi’s column frames the issue not merely as a matter of foreign policy calculation, but as a test of India’s adherence to its constitutional values and international commitments.
UNI SKA VAN IM