Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday said even if the US-Israeli action was not condemned, India’s timely condolence over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would have been the “most appropriate step”.
He also said that in times of such fierce conflict the government should exercise restraint and stressed that he would have given the same advice to the Congress government.
On whether India should have expressed condolences over the assassination of Iran’s Khamenei, Tharoor told ANI, “I agree with the critics. On the very first day of the conflict, when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated, we should have expressed our condolences. That would have been most appropriate. That would have been right considering his role in the country.”
The Congress MP also reminded India of its stance following the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in 2024.
Tharoor said, “When President Raisi died in the helicopter crash, we immediately expressed our condolences and issued condolences. However, I am happy that when the Iranian Embassy in Delhi opened the condolence book, our Foreign Secretary was immediately sent to express condolences.”
Explaining the difference between condolence and condemnation, he said that although the action taken by US-Israel against Iran should not be condemned, it was okay, India could at least express sympathy towards the bereaved families.
Tharoor said, “There is a difference between expressing condolences and condemning. If you don’t want to politically condemn the American-Israeli attack, that’s fine. But expressing condolences is an expression of sympathy towards the victim’s family and the government and people of Iran. We could have done that.”
When asked about his article published in an English daily that differed from his party’s stance on India’s diplomatic actions, the Congress leader said being in the opposition gives freedom to take a moral stand, but advised that the government should adopt “restraint as strength”.
Tharoor said, “I completely respect what Sonia Gandhi and others in the opposition have said because as the opposition we can take a moral stand. This article is primarily about what the government should do. Frankly, if I were advising the Congress government, my advice would be to exercise restraint at this time. Restraint is not giving up, but it is a strength, it is a way of showing that we know our interests and take paramount steps to protect them.” Will pick it up.”