Govt's silence, lethargy in defending India's interests in West Asia unacceptable: Congress

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) Expressing concern over the rise in hostilities in West Asia, the Congress on Tuesday said the BJP government's silence and lethargy in defending Indian interests in the region are unacceptable. The opposition party hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take urgent action to protect India's geopolitical interests and inform Parliament about the steps taken. In a statement, the head of the Congress's foreign affairs department, Salman Khurshid, said the party expresses grave concern at the re-initiation of hostilities and continued attacks on shipping vessels in West Asia. "We firmly believe that the free movement of vessels and trade must not be weaponised by warring parties. We appeal for all parties to strictly adhere to international law and conduct themselves in a manner befitting nations committed to a rules-based world order," Khurshid said. The Congress, he said, has always stood for a peaceful resolution of disputes and urged all parties concerned to resolve issues through structured dialogue via credible stakeholders. Khurshid said the Congress is also deeply concerned over attacks on the Chabahar Port, which successive Indian governments have pursued as a vital strategic interest and gateway to central Asia. "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's inexplicable silence and lethargy in stridently defending Indian interests in West Asia is unacceptable. "This inertia is severely circumscribing India's strategic autonomy and ceding space to other actors including Pakistan to expand their regional footprint," the Congress leader said. "We hope Prime Minister Modi will urgently take appropriate actions to protect Indian geopolitical and geoeconomic interests, and brief Parliament on the steps taken in the forthcoming Monsoon session," the former Union minister added. The Congress shared Khurshid's statement on X and said, "The BJP government's inexplicable silence and lethargy in stridently defending Indian interests in West Asia is unacceptable." PTI SKC RC