He said the absence of any regret or apology from Washington, coupled with directives issued to vessels, undermined India’s standing.
Compromised PM will not defend the country’s honour—because those who insult the country are under their control,” Mr. Gandhi said in a post on X.
And you have the audacity to sugarcoat it with the ‘Vishwaguru’ narrative,” Mr. Kharge said in a post on X.
He accused the government of treating Indian lives as an “afterthought” in matters of foreign policy.
Mr. Ramesh also called for scrapping the India-U.S. trade deal, arguing that it would endanger the future of crores of Indian farmers.
Questioning the government’s “silence” over the death of three Indian mariners in a U.S. attack on a commercial vessel near the Gulf of Oman, and the “threatening” and “unacceptable” language allegedly used by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his conversation with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in this context, the Congress accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to defend India’s sovereignty and dignity.
The controversy intensified after Mr. Rubio’s office released a statement on his conversation with Mr. Jaishankar, stressing that all commercial vessels must “immediately comply” with instructions from U.S. forces operating in the Strait of Hormuz and warned that violations of its blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil would not be tolerated.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused the government of remaining silent in the face of what he described as overbearing language from the United States. He said the absence of any regret or apology from Washington, coupled with directives issued to vessels, undermined India’s standing.
“A free country would never tolerate such language. But our Compromised PM? Silent. They listen like an obedient servant and comply with the orders. Compromised PM will not defend the country’s honour—because those who insult the country are under their control,” Mr. Gandhi said in a post on X.
“Silence can’t be a substitute for accountability,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, pointing out that even three days after the incident, there has been no condolence message or public statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Our national interests are being surrendered on a daily basis. And you have the audacity to sugarcoat it with the ‘Vishwaguru’ narrative,” Mr. Kharge said in a post on X. He accused the government of treating Indian lives as an “afterthought” in matters of foreign policy.
‘Obedient servant, complies with orders: Rahul slams PM over U.S. statements
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in France next week.
Compromised PM के राज में एक भारतीय होने का मतलब दुर्गति है।
विदेशी ताकत हमारे नागरिकों को मारती है। हमारी सरकार एक आज्ञाकारी नौकर की तरह चुप-चाप आदेश मान लेती है - और हमारे नागरिक सड़ने के लिए छोड़ दिए जाते हैं।
इस भारतीय को घर लाइए। अभी। https://t.co/WE7Y69wHZt — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 14, 2026
Citing the upcoming engagement, Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh questioned whether the Prime Minister would condemn the incident off the Oman coast, as well as Mr. Rubio’s “threatening” and “really unacceptable” language when he meets his “self-declared good friend” President Trump. Mr. Ramesh also called for scrapping the India-U.S. trade deal, arguing that it would endanger the future of crores of Indian farmers.
Countries like Malaysia, Mr. Ramesh pointed out, have declared their trade agreements with the U.S. “null and void” after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down the Trump-era tariffs that formed the backdrop to these agreements, while the Modi government is “sitting mute and helpless”.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is also set to visit India shortly. Mr. Ramesh said, “In light of the Rubio-Jaishankar interaction, the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of President Trump’s tariff system, and the patent unfairness of the trade deal, the least India must do is to put off the visit of the U.S. Trade Representative. Any self-respecting nation will do more than mere phone calls and press statements to defend its sovereignty against bullies.”
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra echoed the party’s position, calling the government’s response inadequate and urging a firmer stance. “India must firmly assert that it is a sovereign and independent nation,” she said.
