The Congress on Saturday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel as “shameful” and “ill-timed”, hours after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran.
Israel termed its action a “preventive strike”, while U.S. President Donald Trump said the American military was also involved, though details of its role were not immediately clear.
The strikes came two days after Modi wrapped up his visit to Israel, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and addressed the Knesset.
In his speech, Modi said India stood with Israel “firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond”, while expressing condolences over those killed in the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
Reacting to the developments, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the timing of the prime minister’s visit raised concerns, noting that Tel Aviv and Washington had “begun their joint assault on Iran” shortly after.
“This was fully expected given their military build-up in the last few months,” Ramesh said in a social media post. He added that the visit created the impression of India aligning with military escalation.
In a statement, the Congress’ foreign affairs department said it was “deeply concerned” that the visit took place at a time of “heightened tensions” and risk of wider conflict in West Asia.
The party said the trip created a “perception of political endorsement of military escalation” and cautioned that such alignment could have strategic consequences for India, which has longstanding economic, energy and diaspora ties not only with Israel but also with Iran and Palestine.
Congress reiterated that India has consistently supported a two-state solution, calling for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace.
Iran said the attacks by Israel and the United States took place during negotiations and that its armed forces had begun a response. The Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran towards Israel and that its air defence systems were operating to intercept them.
The developments have heightened tensions in West Asia, with potential implications for India’s energy security and the safety of Indian nationals in the region.