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'Abdication of responsibilities': Congress slams govt for ‘silence’ on Iran's IRIS Dena sinking in Sri Lankan waters
The Congress said the sailors of the frigate were ‘honoured guests of India’ as they had participated in the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026 in India.
The Opposition Congress on Thursday expressed concern over the incident of Iranian frigate IRIS Dena being targeted by US strikes in the international waters off Sri Lanka. At least 87 people were killed after US torpedo sunk the ship. The party said that the incident has ‘worryingly expanded the conflict to our immediate vicinity, risking further escalation on our doorstep.’
The Congress said that the sailors of the frigate were ‘honoured guests of India’ as they had participated in the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026 in India until February 25, 2026."In accordance with established exercise protocols, it was likely defenceless at the time of the attack. Furthermore, as per Articles 95 and 96 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which India has ratified, IRIS Dena enjoyed sovereign immunity on the high seas and was far from any active theatre of hostilities. Given this, the attack cannot credibly meet the established criteria for self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which require demonstrable necessity, proportionality, and clear attribution to a specific armed attack," the party said in its statement as it attacked the BJP-led central government for its silence on the matter.
“Given India has consistently been a Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s silence is an abject abdication of India’s responsibilities as a maritime power.,” it said.
Read full text of Congress's statement on IRIS Dena sinking
Earlier, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that in “some way India was being dragged into the war”.
Soon after the attack on Wednesday, IRIS Dena issued a distress call south of the Sri Lankan coast. At least 87 sailors were killed and dozens remain missing.
“It is very unfortunate… they were our guests. They had come to take part in a naval exercise (Milan) and the vessel carrying crew was returning (to Iran) when attacked. Now, in some way our nation somewhere is being dragged into it (war). I can’t tell what unfolds next, it is not in my domain but here (in J&K) people are certainly concerned because several students and our people are in Iran,” he told reporters.
