Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, on Sunday criticised India’s stance on the ongoing conflict in West Asia and questioned PM Modi`s `silence`.
Raut claimed that the country has “completely lost its existence” amid recent developments in the region, reported the PTI.
The Rajya Sabha MP made the remarks in his weekly column ‘Rokthok’ published in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana.
Sanjay Raut said that India should have taken the lead in attempting to stop the war involving Iran, which he described as a major and urgent international issue.
According to him, the crisis has exposed what he called the “hollowness” of India’s leadership on the global stage. He also pointed out that Narendra Modi has not publicly commented on the situation, as per the PTI.
“When war has flared up in West Asia, India as a country has completely lost its existence among all the developments,” Raut wrote.
Criticism of US and Israel
Sanjay Raut also criticised the role of the United States and Israel in the conflict, accusing them of behaving like “global bullies”.
He claimed that major countries such as India, which often speak about their strength and courage, are now acting like agents of these powerful nations.
Referring to the developments in the conflict, Raut said that Donald Trump and Israel believed that Iran could easily be crushed.
He further alleged that after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, they expected the conflict to end quickly.
However, he said the fighting has continued despite the deaths of several Iranian leaders and military personnel, with Iran continuing to retaliate against Israel.
Over 52,000 Indians travelled safely from Gulf region between March 1-7, says MEA
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday shared an update on the evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, noting that more than 52,000 Indians travelled safely from Gulf region to India between March 1-7, 2026 and that a dedicated special control room has been set up to monitor and respond to queries from those affected, reported the ANI.
In an official press statement, the MEA said that the Government of India is continuously monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, especially with regard to the welfare of Indian nationals who have been stranded there during transit or on short-duration visits.
“All Indian nationals in the region are advised to follow the guidelines of the local authorities as well as the advisories being issued by the Indian Embassy or Consulate in their location. Each of our Embassies and Consulates in these countries have issued detailed advisories and set up 24×7 Helplines that are assisting in addressing concerns on account of the ongoing situation”, the statement said.
It further added, “The Ministry of External Affairs has also set up a dedicated Special Control Room to monitor and respond to queries from those affected as well as their families.”
Complete details of all our Helplines are available at: Special_Control_Room_in_MEA
The statement noted that following the partial opening of airspace across the region in the last few days, Indian and foreign airlines are operating commercial flights, including non-scheduled flights, to enable the return of Indian passengers who were in transit or on short-term visits in these countries.
“By now, more than 52,000 Indians have availed of these flights and travelled safely from the Gulf region to India between March 1-7, 2026, 32107 of whom have travelled on Indian carriers. More flights are planned in the coming days”, MEA added.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
