New Delhi, March 5 (NationPress) The Congress party on Thursday criticized the Narendra Modi administration for its silence regarding the assault on the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters near Sri Lanka, an incident that has resulted in the deaths of at least 87 sailors, with many others unaccounted for.

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, who leads the party's Foreign Affairs Department, expressed that this situation has troublingly escalated the conflict to India's immediate vicinity, posing a risk for further escalation at our doorstep.

He emphasized that the government's silence and compromise endangers the hard-earned trust in India's naval capabilities and its historical record, potentially impacting future Indian-led naval exercises, intelligence collaborations, and efforts against piracy and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

The BJP should acknowledge that India's operational presence and commitment to international law extend beyond 12 nautical miles from our shores and do not cease at our Exclusive Economic Zone. India must assert its legitimate interests in the Indian Ocean Region and not yield valuable space that could be exploited by other nations, he remarked.

Notably, the IRIS Dena had previously participated in India's International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026 until February 25, making its crew honored guests of India. According to established exercise protocols, it is likely that the frigate was defenseless at the time of the attack, Khurshid pointed out.

He further noted that under Articles 95 and 96 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which India has ratified, the IRIS Dena held sovereign immunity on the high seas and was well away from any active conflict zones. Therefore, the attack does not meet the criteria for self-defense outlined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which requires demonstrable necessity, proportionality, and clear attribution to an armed attack.

The Congress party asserted that as India has consistently acted as a Net Security Provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the BJP's silence signifies a significant abdication of India's maritime responsibilities.

This silence further undermines India's legitimate interests in the IOR, limiting our operational reach and allowing for foreign interference in our strategic domain, they added.

Since 2008, the Indian Navy has deployed over 100 warships for anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, escorting more than 3,400 merchant vessels and gaining international recognition as the First Responder and preferred security partner in the IOR.

India's track record in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), including responses to the 2004 tsunami, Operation Brahma in Myanmar, and Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka, has consistently reinforced India's maritime leadership and collaboration in securing a free and open Indian Ocean while protecting our naval Area of Operations, according to the Congress.

Reports indicate that the IRIS Dena had departed from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and was en route back when it was attacked in international waters near the southern coast of Sri Lanka on March 4. US officials did not deny their involvement and have acknowledged the sinking of the Iranian vessel.