Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deaths of three Indian sailors in recent US military strikes on commercial vessels near Oman, accusing him of maintaining a “deafening silence” despite the loss of Indian lives.
In a strongly worded post on social media, Gandhi alleged that a “compromised Prime Minister” could not protect the sons of Mother India. He questioned why Modi had not publicly spoken about the deaths of the Indian seafarers, arguing that whenever a foreign power is responsible for the death of Indian citizens, the Prime Minister has a duty to respond and seek accountability.
Gandhi also criticised Modi’s relationship with US President Donald Trump, claiming that the Prime Minister would continue diplomatic engagements with Washington despite the deaths of Indian nationals. Referring to the upcoming G7 Summit, he alleged that Modi would meet world leaders, sign agreements, and exchange greetings while failing to address the deaths of the sailors.
The criticism follows a series of attacks on Indian-crewed vessels operating near Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. On June 10, US forces struck the tanker Settebello, which was carrying an Indian crew. While 21 crew members were rescued, three Indian sailors lost their lives in the attack.
The incident came just days after another Indian-crewed tanker, Marivex, was disabled by US forces as part of efforts to enforce a maritime blockade in the region. A third vessel, Jalveer, carrying 20 Indian sailors, was also targeted. Although all crew members aboard Jalveer were rescued, the repeated attacks have raised serious concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers working in the Gulf.
Reacting to the developments, the Congress party condemned what it described as reckless military actions by the United States and demanded that the Indian government take all necessary diplomatic measures to establish accountability. The party argued that Modi cannot highlight his personal rapport with Trump as a diplomatic achievement while remaining silent when Indian citizens lose their lives.
The Indian government has also expressed concern over the incidents. The Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned the attacks on commercial shipping, describing them as deeply worrying and a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict in the region. The ministry called for an immediate end to such attacks and urged all sides to pursue dialogue and diplomacy to restore peace and stability.
The government further summoned the US Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi and lodged a formal protest over the attacks on vessels carrying Indian crew members. It was the second diplomatic protest issued by India within two days, reflecting growing concern over the escalating maritime security situation and its impact on Indian nationals working aboard commercial ships in the region.
