Modi risked India’s calibrated position with Israel visit: Cong
Says it could have “grave strategic consequences” for the country
The main Opposition party Congress on Saturday condemned the Iran conflict and questioned the timing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, saying it created a “perception of partisan alignment and tacit endorsement of unprovoked aggression” and risked compromising India's calibrated position, which could have “grave strategic consequences” for the country.
In a detailed statement, former External Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid warned that the situation would have “grave strategic consequences” for India. He added that the “perception of political endorsement” of military escalation was “deeply antithetical” to New Delhi's commitment to a rules‑based international order and the UN Charter.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi described the hostilities between the US‑Israel and Iran as “deeply concerning” and urged the Centre to take steps to safeguard Indian citizens in the region, even as Khurshid questioned India’s position on the issue.
“The rapidly escalating hostilities between US‑Israel and Iran are deeply concerning. The safety and security of every Indian citizen across the Middle East must be our highest priority. I urge the government to take immediate and proactive measures to safeguard our people,” Rahul said in a post on X.
Khurshid, in his statement, reminded the BJP‑led NDA government that it must remain mindful of India's “civilisational, economic, energy, geopolitical and diasporic ties” not only with Israel but also with Iran, Palestine and the wider West Asia region.
“Equally problematically, PM Modi's perceived sanction of actions that undermine the sovereignty of multiple nations undermines India's own principled position on PoK. To preserve both moral authority and strategic credibility, India must apply, uniformly and without exception, the very principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes that India has consistently invoked in defence of its own legitimate national interests,” Khurshid cautioned.
He concluded by describing Modi's Israel visit as ill‑timed, saying it “risks conveying alignment and endorsement of an incumbent government on the eve of national elections.”
Khurshid added that the Congress valued and sought to deepen India’s partnership with Israel, just as it did with Iran, Palestine and other nations in West Asia. However, he said such engagements must be carefully balanced with diplomatic considerations and pursued with prudence, particularly when national interests risk being jeopardised by conflict or by perceptions that the government is sacrificing India’s civilisational and constitutional principles and its commitment to a rules‑based international order.
