Senior figures within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of engaging in “selective outrage” over her recent article questioning the government of India’s response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The comments reflect deepening political tensions between the ruling party and the opposition over foreign policy and diplomatic messaging amid the ongoing West Asia crisis.

In an op-ed published this week, Sonia Gandhi — Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson — sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for what she called its “abdication” in the face of Khamenei’s killing, asserting that India’s failure to condemn the targeted assassination amounted to a neglect of diplomatic responsibility and moral leadership.

BJP sources hit back at the criticism, telling reporters that Gandhi’s characterization of India’s stance as “silence” was misleading and demonstrated “a fundamental misunderstanding of how responsible diplomacy works.” They stressed that India has repeatedly called for restraint, respect for sovereignty, and de-escalation in the region — central tenets of the country’s foreign policy — and argued that such calls are being overlooked in Congress’s public messaging.

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The BJP’s response went further, suggesting that Gandhi’s concerns appeared driven more by political posturing than by genuine concern for Indian citizens affected by the conflict. The party underscored that millions of Indian nationals live and work across the Middle East, and that New Delhi’s priority must be their safety and well-being amid disruptions to air travel and heightened regional tensions.

Party sources also drew comparisons with what they described as Congress’s earlier reticence on other issues, including attacks on minority communities abroad, framing their criticism as a counter to what they labeled inconsistent outrage. “There is little acknowledgment of the anxiety of Indian workers, students, and families caught in the crossfire,” the sources said, underscoring their view that India’s diplomatic calculus must consider complex economic and strategic linkages.

The debate highlights broader political disagreements over foreign policy, with opposition leaders urging a more assertive moral stance while the government maintains a calibrated diplomatic posture. The BJP’s rebuttal underscores that, in its view, responsible statesmanship prioritises stability and the safeguarding of national interests over statements that could exacerbate tensions.

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