Jaipur, March 5 -- Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday slammed the Centre for its "strategic silence" on the US submarine sinking the Iranian warship 'IRIS Dena' near Sri Lanka.

Alleging "sycophancy" towards the US, Gehlot said that India's silence goes against its cultural ethos and military pride.

Recalling the 2013 Devyani Khobragade visa case, the Congress leader wrote on X, "India's strength lies in its independent voice, not in anyone's sycophancy. From Nehru ji's Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to Indira ji's fearless diplomacy, India has never bowed to the pressure of any superpower. We should all also recall the 2013 Devyani Khobragade case, when Dr. Manmohan Singh ji's government resp...