NEW DELHI: The US-Israel attack on Iran and its aftermath, including the killing of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have marked the most pronounced rupture yet between opposition parties, especially Congress and Left, and govt on a fraught foreign affairs development, an issue which has traditionally seen a certain convergence on account of national interest.India has called for exercising restraint and emphasised the need for diplomacy to de-escalate tensions, with PM Modi, in phone calls with leaders of Gulf countries— home to millions of Indians — condemning the attack on their territories, criticism clearly aimed at Iran. Modi’s visit to Israel days ago and his invocation of ties between the two countries, coupled with his praise of its PM Benjamin Netanyahu, have been seized by his opponents to attack him. The Opposition has criticised the lack of any condemnation of Khamenei’s killing. Congress termed govt’s “silence” and its reluctance to say anything remotely critical of the US and Israel as abdication of moral leadership.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the assassination of Khamenei and said his party reiterated that it is the inalienable right of every nation’s citizens to determine their political future. CPM’s M A Baby said India should take lead in rallying the Global South to condemn the “excesses being committed by the US-Israel axis” in Iran. CPI’s D Raja described Iran as a friendly country and called the silence of govt and Modi disturbing.
