Lucknow, March 6 -- Expressing concern over a torpedo fired by a US submarine sinking an Iranian naval ship in the Indian Ocean, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav has questioned what he described as the government's silence. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that since this is an international issue, the ministry of external affairs and the defence ministry share the responsibility of clarifying their position. In a statement issued on Thursday, Yadav said, "The US-Israeli attacks reaching close to our borders, even into the Indian Ocean, concern the countrymen. It is also deeply worrying that the BJP government has maintained an unprecedented silence on this serious issue. It should be clarified whether this should be considered "silence" or "suffocation" due to some specific fear. What compulsion has the BJP government faced that has sealed their lips? The public is asking." "As this is an international issue, the government, the ministry of external affairs and the defence ministry share the joint responsibility for clarifying their position. However, the government has not spoken out, forcing the Opposition to speak out on this global issue. In this time of crisis, the government must step forward and ensure the protection of the country's maritime, land, and air borders." Akhilesh Yadav further alleged that the BJP government seeks to divert public attention by adopting vague policies. "BJP members will surely raise controversial issues in the Parliament session to prevent discussion of the BJP government's failures," he said. On Wednesday, a US submarine torpedoed and sank IRIS Dena, an Iranian frigate. The warship was in Sri Lankan waters in the Indian Ocean. The attack killed around 87 people. According to the Sri Lankan government, 32 sailors were rescued during a search operation, however, several remain lost at sea and are presumed dead....