India summoned a senior US diplomat after a strike on the tanker Settebello off Oman. Also in the news in India this Thursday, the ‘Cockroach’ party demonstrated in Pune demanding the education minister’s removal.
India protests after US strike kills 3 sailors, summons diplomat
The Indian government on Thursday lodged a protest against the US strike on a vessel off Oman that killed three Indian sailors.
According to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian government summoned a senior US diplomat to convey its “deepest concerns” over the attack and formally protest the strike
“We expect US to take due note of our protest against attacks on vessels carrying Indian seafarers,” the Indian government later said in a statement.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry called for an end to the “targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region.”
The head of International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, also condemned the attack.
Earlier, Indian Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on X that three Indians missing after a US strike on the tanker Settebello were killed.
The US Central Command said American forces warned the crew before firing on the ship, which allegedly attempted to breach its naval blockade with a shipment of Iranian oil.
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Air India crash report comes under criticism ahead of anniversary
Ahead of India’s aviation accident probe agency’s report on the anniversary of Air India Boeing-787 crash on Friday, there has been intense backlash from pilot groups, according to an AFP report.
The June 2025 disaster killed 260 people, 241 on board and 19 on the ground, when the aircraft crashed into a medical college shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
Families expecting a final report explaining the cause of the crash will instead receive only an interim update from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), according to local media.
“I don’t have much trust,” said Charanvir Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), told AFP news agency. “I will be very honest; they are not transparent at all.”
The FIP has criticized the AAIB’s initial investigation team composition and its decision to interrogate a deceased pilot’s family.
On Friday, relatives of the victims along with aviation safety experts will convene in Ahmedabad for a conference and candlelight vigil to demand answers.
US attack on vessel kills three Indian sailors
The Indian government said on Thursday that three Indian sailors were killed after a US attack on a tanker off Oman.
Union Minister of Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal posted on X saying “three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified.”
India’s Foreign Ministry summoned a top US diplomat to lodge “a strong protest.”
Earlier, India on Wednesday said it “condemned the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman,” after the US military announced it had fired on a tanker attempting to breach its blockade of Iran.
It confirmed that 24 Indian crew members were onboard.
The US Central Command said American forces warned the crew before firing on the ship, which allegedly attempted to breach the naval blockade with a shipment of Iranian oil.
Cockroach Janta Party to protest in Pune demanding education minister’s removal
India’s viral Cockroach Party is set to protest in Pune on Thursday demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), urged supporters on X to join the protest at 4 pm at the Savitribai Phule Pune University.
The call comes days after hundreds of CJP supporters gathered on Saturday in New Delhi in the movement’s first major street protest.
The online campaign, which has attracted millions of followers, has tapped into growing frustration among young Indians over alleged exam fraud, including the recent cancellation of the national medical entrance examination following a question paper leak and concerns over the evaluation of high school board exams.
Dipke also posted another video saying CJP could launch an indefinite sit-in at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from June 20 if the minister does not step down.
“…we will only return from Delhi after securing the resignation of the country’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” Dipke wrote.
Last Saturday, the CJP gave the government an ultimatum: Either Pradhan resigns or Prime Minister Narendra Modi removes him.
“If no action is taken within seven days, this movement will spread across the country,” CJP said in a statement.
