India needs steady hand at wheel but has compromised PM: Rahul

A day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast, the Congress on Thursday questioned the Government’s silence, with Rahul Gandhi saying that while the country needed a steady hand at the wheel, it has a “compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Modi Government’s “reckless abdication” of India’s strategic and national interests is there for all to see.

“An Iranian ship, a guest of India, was returning, unarmed, from the International Fleet Review 2026, hosted by us, and was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). No statement of concern or condolence. PM Modi remains mute,” Kharge said on X. “Why lecture us on the doctrines of MAHASAGAR and India being a ‘Net Security Provider’ in the IOR, when you can’t react on what is happening in your own backyard? As many as 38 Indian Flag commercial ships along with 1100 sailors are stuck in the Gulf of Hormuz,” he said.

“Indian sailors, including Captain Ashish Kumar, have reportedly died. Why is there no maritime rescue or relief operation in place? You say only 25 days of crude and oil stocks left. With rising oil prices, what is our energy contingency plan, especially in the wake of the GOI virtually accepting the demand to stop the import of Russian oil?” the Congress chief said.

As per the MEA statement on March 3, “some Indian nationals have lost their lives or are missing”, he said. “There are one crore Indians in the Gulf region countries. Medical students are releasing desperate video messages seeking help. How is the GOI securing their well-being? Is there any evacuation plan in place from the affected areas?” Kharge said.

“Clearly, Modi Ji’s SURRENDER is both political and moral! It demeans India’s core national interests and destroys our foreign policy carefully and painstakingly built and followed by successive governments over the years!” Kharge said.