Rahul Gandhi speaks with family of U.P. sailor killed in U.S. attack, Congress alleges govt. abandoned citizens

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (June 17, 2026) spoke with family members of Shivanand Chaurasiya, a native of Surouli village under Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh who was among the three sailors who lost their lives following an attack on a oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Gandhi assured the family of all necessary help. “Rahul Gandhi spoke with me and promised to help us, he is writing letters to authorities to accept our demands like a government job to the wife of the victim,” said Rampravesh Chaurasiya, the brother of the deceased.

A Congress delegation led by former Uttar Pradesh Congress unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu, visited the family and arranged the conversation between Mr. Gandhi and the family. “Recently, three Indian sailors tragically died in the U.S. attack on the Strait of Hormuz. One of the three Indians, Shivanand Chaurasia, was a resident of Surouli village in the Deoria district. 

“Today, I visited his home and met with his family, expressed my condolences, and offered my condolences. Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, also spoke to the bereaved family by phone and assured them that he stands with them during this difficult time. This incident has completely shattered the family. Shivanand Chaurasia had taken a loan of ₹8 lakh and left with the dream of improving his family. His family was confident that the situation would change. But he became a victim of the American attack. Ironically, the State’s Deputy Chief Minister, Brajesh Pathak, attends the inauguration of a private hospital but doesn’t find time to meet Shivanand Chaurasia’s family. The Agriculture Minister hails from this district, yet he too paid no attention. No responsible district official understood their responsibility and dismissed the family’s suffering. The government has abandoned its citizens,” Mr. Lallu told The Hindu. 

Mr. Lallu, put forth multiple demands including martyr status to the deceased and financial assistance of ₹1 crore. “We demand that the late Shivanand Chaurasia ji should be given the status of martyr. Financial assistance of ₹1 crore and a government job should be provided to the family members. The government should take responsibility for the loan that Shivanand Chaurasia ji had taken for his employment,” he demanded, adding the government hasn’t done enough for the family.