‘Foreign policy in shambles': Congress flays govt's stand to abstain from UN resolution on Gaza
THE CONGRESS on Saturday criticised the Central Government for abstaining from voting during the UN General Assembly resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza and alleged that India's foreign policy is 'in a shambles'.
The party asked if India has abandoned its principled stand advocating for ceasefire, peace and dialogue in West Asia, and said that because of this decision the country 'virtually stands isolated'.
The Congress launched a coordinated attack against the government, with its top leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, condemning the Central Government's decision to abstain from voting in the 193-member UN General Assembly, which overwhelmingly favoured adoption of a resolution introduced by Spain, demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
India was among the 19 nations that abstained, while 12 countries voted against the resolution, which got 149 votes in favour.
So far, India has taken a balanced stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict which began in October 2023. While it has condemned Hamas, it has also urged Israel to respect international humanitarian law. In October 2023, India had abstained from a UN General Assembly vote on the Israel-Hamas war.
As the Opposition targeted the government, the BJP said India's position on the Israel-Palestine issue was 'steadfast and consistent' and argued that those who choose to 'side with terror' should do so at their own peril.
Accusing the Congress of spreading 'half-truths' on the ceasefire issue, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said India's abstention was not a deviation but a continuation of 'past votes' based on 'unwavering belief' in dialogue and diplomacy as the only sustainable path forward.
'Congress, before unleashing theatrical outrage, should take a moment to read India's official Explanation of Vote at the UN on June 12,' Bhandari wrote on X, posting a screenshot of the purported document.
'The Congress and its intellectually dishonest ecosystem has become nothing but a fake news factory,' he said.
On Saturday, Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge said it has become 'increasingly evident that our foreign policy is in shambles'. 'PM Modi must now take a call on his EAM's (S Jaishankar) repeated blunders and set some accountability,' said Kharge.
'149 countries voted for a UNGA resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. India was only one of the 19 countries that abstained. We virtually stand isolated by this step,' he said.
Kharge also mentioned that the Congress had on October 8, 2023 condemned the brutal attacks by Hamas on the people of Israel.
'We have consistently condemned the indiscriminate actions that included a siege of the Gaza Strip and bombings in it. 60,000 people have died and there is a widespread and horrific humanitarian crisis,' said Kharge.
'Have we abandoned India's consistent stand advocating for a ceasefire, peace, and dialogue in the Middle East and West Asia,' he asked.
In a post on X, Kharge said India's stance is 'deeply rooted in our long-standing tradition of Non-Alignment and moral diplomacy, through which India has always championed justice and peace in international conflicts'.
Senior Congress leader and general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal said India 'has always stood for peace, justice and human dignity', but today it stands alone as the only country in South Asia, BRICS, and SCO to abstain on a UNGA resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza'.
'We know this government has little regard for (Jawaharlal) Nehru ji's legacy, but why abandon even (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji's principled stance on Palestine?' asked Venugopal in a post on X.
Congress MP and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been a vocal critic of Israel's attacks on Gaza, said that 'it is shameful and disappointing that our government has chosen to abstain on the UN motion for the protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations in Gaza'.
'This is a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy. In fact, not only are we standing silent as Mr (Benjamin) Netanyahu annihilates an entire nation, we are cheering on as his government attacks Iran and assassinates its leadership in flagrant violation of its sovereignty and complete contravention of all international norms,' said Vadra.
In August 2024, leaders of Opposition parties, including Congress, SP and AAP had urged the Centre to stop the supply of arms and ammunition to Israel.
Congress communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'goes out of his way to appease his close friend Benjamin Netanyahu, who has spearheaded genocide in Gaza and launched an air war on Iran to effect regime change'. 'Yet, Israel puts out a map showing J&K as part of Pakistan and the Northeast as part of Nepal,' Ramesh alleged in a post on X.
'And there is no rebuke from the Prime Minister of India – or any of his senior colleagues,' said Ramesh.
Congress media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera said India's UN abstention 'on the Gaza ceasefire comes as an act of staggering moral cowardice — a shameful betrayal of our anti-colonial legacy and the values of our own freedom struggle'.
Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express.
During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state.
During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.
Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor.
Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read More
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