The opposition Congress, which has been trying to gherao the Narendra Modi-led government over its foreign policy with regard to the conflict in the Middle East, has found itself on the back foot after two of its senior leaders apparently backed the Centre’s stance.
Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor, Congress MPs from Punjab and Kerala, respectively, have presented contrasting views, supporting the stance taken by the government as it navigates the conflict in a region that has huge implications for India’s energy security.
The Congress party heavily criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not offering condolences on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination in joint strikes by the US and Israel.
The Opposition party also slammed the government over its alleged silence on the sinking of the Iranian ship, IRIS Dena, in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka. Dena was India’s guest and was returning to Iran when it was torpedoed by a US submarine. Following the criticism, India issued a clarification that Iran had asked for docking permission for three ships, and the same was granted the next day.
Now, Congress leader Manish Tewari has come out in support of the Modi government. Speaking at an event hosted by a private news channel, Tewari said that the war in Iran is not India’s war and that New Delhi is doing the right thing by trying to protect its national interest and navigate the situation.
“Well, it’s not our war. We’ve always been rather marginal players in the greater Middle East, and the problems of the region did not start today,” Tewari said.
He continued, “Since we have a huge diaspora, close to 48 million people, in addition to that, of course, the imperatives of our energy security, not limited to crude oil and natural gas, but also fertiliser, which is extremely important for our food security. If we are circumspect, I think we are probably doing the right thing, because that is really what strategic autonomy is about — the ability to protect your interests and navigate, if I may put it in those words, contradictory impulses.”
Tewari is not the only Congress leader to have supported the government’s response to the Iran war. His Kerala colleague Shashi Tharoor also said that India’s “silence” should not be seen as cowardice.
While asserting that the US and Israel’s war against Iran is unjustifiable under international law, Tharoor said New Delhi’s silence should not be seen as an endorsement of that. According to him, “it is a recognition that our national interest requires prudence, not posturing.”
“If I were advising any Indian government, I too would counsel restraint. Restraint is strength — the strength to balance principle with pragmatism, to honour our values while safeguarding our interests, and to navigate a dangerous world with wisdom rather than bravado,” he added.