India: Politics

International

India’s government offered condolences for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visiting the Iranian embassy. Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi criticized the government’s initial silence on the killing, calling it an abdication of responsibility and referencing its past stance on Kashmir. Separately, several Indian opposition parties, including the Congress party, criticized the government following a US official's remarks about India's purchase of Russian oil. The opposition described the US comments as a 'permission' or 'waiver' and called them a blatant insult and humiliation, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence. The Indian government responded that it never depended on permission from any country for its energy purchases.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thanking him for supporting Israel. Modi urged Netanyahu to work toward an early end to hostilities. In regional developments, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for all US military bases in the region to be closed immediately, following reports his predecessor was killed in a US-Israel strike. North Korea expressed support for Iran and condemned the attack, while a political leader from Jammu and Kashmir questioned the right of the US and Israel to carry out the strike.