In strong and outspoken criticism of the government’s refusal and failure to criticise the US-Israel strikes on Iran and the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, India’s former National Security Advisor and former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon has said it is “inexplicable” and “sad”. He said this will not impress India’s BRICS partners and it “diminishes” the country’s reputation.In an interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Menon, who has also served as a former Ambassador to Israel and China and former High Commissioner to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, said: “I find our silences and our action quite inexplicable. I mean not to have anything to say when a Head of State of a state you recognise and in your neighbourhood is assassinated by another country… By not signing the condolence book for five days and then sending the Foreign Secretary, not the Foreign Minister [or] the Prime Minister…and to stay absolutely silent on the issues. And this is unfortunately part of a pattern. Not willing to call the Russian invasion of Ukraine an invasion. You are not willing to vote when Palestinians are being slaughtered in Gaza and on the West Bank. You abstain on voting at the UN. I find this very strange. And rather sad that a country like India with its traditions should end up absolutely mum.”Watch the full interview to know more.