NEW DELHI: Indian lawmakers on Sunday strongly criticised the United States for failing to apologise after the deaths of three Indian seafarers off the coast of Oman.
The criticism intensified as another Indian sailor reportedly died from medical complications aboard a vessel stranded in the region due to the ongoing US blockade.
The three sailors killed in last week’s incident were identified as cadet Aditya Sharma, fitter Shivanand Chaurashiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh. They lost their lives aboard the Palau-flagged tanker MT Settebello after a US aircraft allegedly fired into the vessel’s engine room.
In response to the incident, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned the US envoy in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest. However, the US State Department later quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio as telling his Indian counterpart that all commercial vessels must immediately comply with instructions issued by US forces and that violations of the American blockade around the Strait of Hormuz would not be tolerated.
The statement quickly sparked outrage in India and drew criticism from politicians across the political spectrum.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said on social media that only days after three Indian seafarers had been killed in US attacks, there had been neither an apology nor an expression of regret from Washington. Instead, he said, the United States continued to issue directives.
Congress parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor also criticised the US response, describing it as deeply shocking that there was no expression of regret or condolences for the loss of Indian lives.
Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker Sanjay Singh accused the United States of responding to India’s protest with warnings rather than sympathy. Referring to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s conversation with Marco Rubio, he alleged that instead of expressing regret, the US secretary of state had effectively reprimanded India by reiterating that violations of the blockade would not be tolerated.
Singh further claimed that three Indians had been killed, while 65 others were rescued with great difficulty. He alleged that three cargo vessels had been targeted with missiles and described the attacks as an act of terrorism under international law.
According to reports, the US Navy attacked three commercial vessels carrying Indian seafarers during the past week. The US Central Command stated that the ships had failed to comply with instructions issued by American forces. However, IOS Marine, the manager of MT Settebello, rejected that claim and maintained that no communication had been received before the strike that killed the three sailors.
The incidents have occurred amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran in and around the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI), at least 20,000 Indian nationals are currently employed aboard commercial vessels operating in the region.
Many of those sailors remain stranded because of the US blockade. On Sunday, the blockade was blamed for the death of another Indian sailor, second officer Nishanth Uirthanathan, who reportedly died after being unable to obtain medical assistance aboard the MT Celestial off the coast of Oman despite repeated distress calls.
FSUI Secretary-General Manoj Yadav told Arab News that the vessel had been stranded for several weeks and was facing shortages of both food and drinking water.
Yadav said medical supplies on board were insufficient and that no external medical assistance had been provided to the crew. He added that the sailor had not been allowed to reach a port for treatment.
According to Yadav, the shipping company had instructed the vessel to proceed to port, but the ship was allegedly prevented from doing so because of restrictions imposed under the US naval blockade.