The Congress party on Monday strongly condemned the killing of three Indian seafarers in a United States attack. The party accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to defend India’s sovereignty and protect its citizens, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should break his silence and register a strong diplomatic protest with Washington.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson and All India Congress Committee Chairperson of Social Media and Digital Platforms Supriya Shrinate expressed condolences to the families of the three deceased Indian sailors—Aditya Sharma, Shivanand Chaurasiya and Patnala Suresh—and described their deaths as a grave tragedy that warranted a far stronger response from the Indian government.
“The brutal murder of Indian seafarers cannot be ignored. The Prime Minister’s silence on this issue is unacceptable,” Shrinate said, alleging that the government had failed to adequately defend the country’s sovereignty, independence and dignity in the face of the incident.
The Congress leader was particularly critical of the United States’ response following a conversation between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Referring to public statements made after the interaction, she claimed that Rubio had neither expressed regret over the deaths nor conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families.
Condemning what she described as Washington’s insensitivity, Shrinate said the US had effectively “rubbed salt into India’s wounds” and alleged that Rubio’s remarks suggested similar actions could occur again in the future.
She argued that there was a contradiction between the government’s claim that India had lodged strong objections and the public position articulated by the US side. “Only one of the two can be speaking the truth,” she remarked, contending that if Rubio’s account was inaccurate, the Government of India should have publicly contradicted it.
The Congress maintained that New Delhi should have demanded a formal apology from the United States, compensation for the families of the victims and concrete assurances regarding the safety and security of Indian sailors working in the region. Shrinate also suggested that India should have considered postponing engagements connected to ongoing India-US trade negotiations in view of the incident.
Questioning the government’s overall handling of the matter, she said the episode exposed weaknesses in India’s foreign policy and raised concerns about the country’s diplomatic standing. She asked whether Prime Minister Modi would raise the issue directly with US President Donald Trump during their expected interaction on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Paris.
Drawing comparisons with previous governments, Shrinate asserted that earlier administrations had responded more firmly when Indian interests were perceived to be under threat. She cited the case involving Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in the United States during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, claiming that India had responded strongly and compelled Washington to address Indian concerns.
“Following India’s protest in that case, the then US Secretary of State John Kerry personally conveyed regret over the incident,” she said, arguing that the current government had failed to demonstrate similar resolve.
The Congress leader also questioned the proposed visit of a US trade representative for discussions related to a bilateral trade agreement, suggesting that such engagements should be reconsidered given the public anger over the deaths of the Indian sailors.
Calling for direct intervention by the Prime Minister, Shrinate demanded that Modi address the nation on the issue, personally reach out to the bereaved families and assure them that justice would be pursued. She also urged the government to ensure the immediate repatriation of the bodies with state honours and provide financial assistance and employment support to the victims’ dependents.
The Congress outlined a series of demands, including a formal apology from the United States, compensation for affected families, stronger diplomatic action at international forums, a review of maritime security arrangements for Indian citizens working in high-risk regions abroad and an all-party discussion in Parliament on both the incident and India’s broader foreign policy response.
Shrinate further argued that international law was on India’s side and alleged that the United States had violated provisions of the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Charter. She called on the government to raise the matter before appropriate international bodies and seek accountability for the deaths of the Indian nationals.
The controversy comes amid heightened political debate over India’s response to the reported killing of Indian seafarers in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz region, with opposition parties accusing the government of failing to adequately safeguard Indian citizens working in conflict-prone areas. The government has maintained that it is engaged with relevant authorities on the matter, while calls for stronger diplomatic action continue to intensify.