New Delhi, March 1 The Congress strongly condemned the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and stated that no external power has the authority to orchestrate a regime change, as such actions constitute imperialism and are incompatible with a rules-based international order.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that his party reiterates that every nation's citizens have the inalienable right to determine their own political future.
"The Indian National Congress (INC) unequivocally condemns the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, in a military strike carried out without a formal declaration of war," Kharge said in a statement.
The Congress extended its deepest condolences to the Supreme Leader's family, to the people of Iran, and the Shia community around the world in this moment of profound grief, he added.
"We stand in solidarity with them as they navigate this grave crisis," Kharge added.
He also stated that India's foreign policy is anchored in a commitment to peaceful dispute resolution through dialogue and respect for international law, as mandated in Article 51 of the Constitution of India.
These principles – sovereign equality, non-intervention, and the promotion of peace – are fundamental to India's civilisational values, the Congress president said.
"Given this, the conflict in West Asia is deeply antithetical to our commitment to 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family), Mahatma Gandhi's doctrine of 'ahimsa' (non-violence), and (former) Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's policy of non-alignment," Kharge said.
The targeted use of force to destabilize the leadership and governing structures of a sovereign state, whether in Iran or earlier in Venezuela, signals a disturbing revival of regime-change doctrines and coercive unilateralism, he said.
It also contravenes the United Nations' Charter, especially Article 2(4), which expressly prohibits “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”, and Article 2(7), which forbids intervention in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state, Kharge said.
A targeted killing of a sitting head of state strikes at the heart of these international rules, he added.
Sovereignty is not conditional, and political legitimacy cannot be manufactured through force, Kharge asserted.
"The INC reiterates that it is the inalienable right of every nation's citizens to determine their own political future. No external power has the authority to engineer regime change or dictate the leadership of another state," he said.
"Such actions constitute imperialism and are fundamentally incompatible with a genuinely rules-based international order," Kharge said in his statement.
Earlier, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the killing of Khamenei, stating that the "so-called leaders of the democratic world" targeting the leadership of a sovereign nation and killing countless innocent people is despicable and deserves strong condemnation.
The Congress general secretary also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing hope that having "bowed" to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, Modi would make every effort to bring all Indian citizens in the affected countries back home to safety.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "The targeted assassination of the leadership of a sovereign nation by the so-called leaders of the democratic world and the killing of countless innocent people is despicable and deserves strong condemnation, regardless of the purported reason."
It is tragic that multiple nations have now been caught in conflict, she said.
"The world needs peace, not more unnecessary wars," Priyanka Gandhi asserted.
"Those in charge of it should remember Mahatma Gandhi's words: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," she said.
"I hope that having bowed to the Prime Minister of Israel and President Trump, our Prime Minister makes every effort to bring all Indian citizens in the affected countries back home to safety," Priyanka Gandhi said.
Earlier, the Congress said the government's response to the war unleashed on Iran has been a betrayal of India's values, principles and interests.
The opposition party also claimed that the nation is paying a heavy price for both the substance and style of Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy.
Khamenei was killed in a major attack by Israel and the US early Saturday, with Iran's state media reporting on Sunday that the 86-year-old Supreme Leader was killed in an air strike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran.
The Congress on Saturday condemned the attacks launched on Iran by the US and Israel, and called upon the Indian government to help bring the hostilities to an end and ensure the safety of all Indians in the Middle East.
The opposition party has expressed concern over the escalating hostilities in the region and urged the government to ensure that all Indians living there were safe.
The US and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, with Trump calling on the Iranian public to seize control of their destiny and rise against the Islamic leadership that has ruled their country since 1979.
