The US State Department said in a statement of the conversation that commercial ships should follow instructions issued by US forces.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked the BJP-led Center and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing them of “not defending the honor of the country” over US Navy strikes on an oil ship in the Gulf that killed three Indian sailors.
The MT Settebello was targeted on Wednesday after US forces claimed it violated the naval blockade currently in place on Iranian ports. Of the 24 Indian crew members on board the ship, 21 were rescued, while the remaining three were later declared dead.
Read also | US ignores India’s concerns; Rubio says blockade violations will not be tolerated
Marine engineer Patnala Suresh, 44, from Visakhapatnam; Shivanand Chaurasia, 38, from Suroli village in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district; and Aditya Sharma, 23, from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, were first reported missing before their deaths were confirmed.
Notably, after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the killing of three Indian sailors, the US State Department in a readout of the conversation said that commercial ships should follow instructions issued by US forces. It also warned that any violation of the US blockade on Iranian ports “will not be tolerated.”
Rahul Gandhi led the attack targeting the Center over the letter and what he described as its “compliance with orders issued by the United States.”
Rahul Gandhi targets BJP and PM Modi
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said: “Just days after three Indian sailors were killed in US attacks – no remorse, no apology. On the contrary, America continues to issue orders.”
He added: “Read their words: ‘Immediately comply with the orders of the US Army.’ No violation will be tolerated.”
The Congress leader criticized Modi, calling him an “endangered prime minister” and accusing him of “not defending the honor of the country.”
He said: “Any free country would never tolerate such language. But our compromised Prime Minister? Silent. They listen like an obedient servant and obey orders. A compromised Prime Minister will not defend the honor of the country – because those who insult the country have him under their control.”
Other opposition leaders joined the attack
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Prime Minister for not issuing “any public statement at all or even a condolence message” over the incident. He further alleged that Modi is “belittling India’s global standing and sovereignty”.
“Our national interests are being compromised on a daily basis. And you have the audacity to wrap it in a ‘Vishwaguru’ narrative… Indian lives cannot be treated as an afterthought in foreign policy matters,” he posted on X.
Congress MP Manish Tiwari described the incident as “unfortunate”, while senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s response to the attack was a “mild way to rebuke someone who killed your people”.
“Why did Jaishankar apologize to this extent? We have lost lives. We should have demanded an apology, but look at the international humiliation,” Khaira told news agency ANI.
Jaishankar lodges protest over deaths via call with Rubio
Jaishankar said on Saturday that he spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and conveyed India’s strong protest against the US Navy attacks in the Gulf that resulted in the killing of three Indian sailors.
In a post on website
On the other hand, the State Department on Friday summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks and officially registered a strong protest against the ongoing attacks on commercial ships near the coast of Oman.
With input from agencies
