Cong deplores Modi govts complete silence on Israels unacceptable actions
Last Updated:
New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) With Israel set to mobilise reservists for an expanded Gaza operation and approve a settlement project in the West Bank, the Congress on Thursday condemned both these moves and said it 'very strongly deplores" the Modi government's 'complete silence on Israel's unacceptable actions".
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Israel has begun its military operations to take over Gaza City.
Plans for expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank have also been announced, he said.
'The Indian National Congress condemns both these moves. It also very strongly deplores the Modi Government's complete silence on Israel's unacceptable actions," Ramesh said in a post on X.
Israel's military said Wednesday that it will call up tens of thousands of reservists and extend the service of others ahead of an expanded military operation it will carry out in Gaza City.
Defence Minister Israel Katz approved plans to begin a new phase of operations in some of Gaza's most densely populated areas, the military said.
Israel has also reportedly given final approval on Wednesday for a settlement project in the West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two.
The Congress has been raising its voice against Israel's actions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.
Earlier this month, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Israeli state is committing 'genocide" and slammed the Indian government for standing 'silent" as Israel 'unleashes devastation" on the people of Palestine.
The Congress general secretary had said the 'Israeli state murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children".
'It has starved hundreds to death including many children and is threatening to starve millions," she had said.
Enabling these crimes by silence and inaction is a crime in itself, Priyanka Gandhi had asserted.
'It is shameful that the Indian Government stands silent as Israel unleashes this devastation on the people of Palestine," she had said. PTI ASK ASK KSS KSS
view comments
First Published:
August 21, 2025, 17:45 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Loading comments...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Wire
29 minutes ago
- The Wire
India ‘Perplexed' By US Logic Behind Steep Tariffs, China ‘Stands With India'
Diplomacy External affairs minister S. Jaishankar also said that the US had urged India to help stabilise global energy markets, including by buying Russian oil. S. Jaishankar attends a joint news conference with his Russian opposite number Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on August 21, 2025. Photo: AP/PTI. New Delhi: India on Thursday (August 21) said it was 'perplexed' by Washington's justification for slapping steep new tariffs on Indian goods over its Russian oil imports, even as China publicly backed New Delhi, with ambassador Xu Feihong warning that 'silence or compromise only emboldens the bully' and declaring that Beijing 'firmly stands with India' against the US measures. The tariffs, announced earlier this month and due to take effect next week, will raise overall duties on Indian exports to the US to as high as 50%. They were defended in recent interventions by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, writing in the Financial Times, and US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in an interview with CNBC. Both argued that India's discounted oil imports from Russia indirectly strengthened Moscow's war effort and alleged that politically connected Indian conglomerates, rather than ordinary citizens, were profiting. However, recent data shows that India's reliance on Russian crude has already declined. According to Bloomberg, Russia's seaborne crude shipments to India have plunged nearly threefold this month, falling to about 400,000 barrels a day this month from an average of 1.18 million earlier this year. Despite the decline, Russia still remained India's top oil supplier in July, though volumes were down 24.5% compared to June, Reuters reported. Speaking in Moscow after talks with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar dismissed the US argument as flawed. 'Quite honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument that you had referred to,' he told reporters in response to a question about Navarro's remarks. Jaishankar stressed that India was far from being Russia's largest energy customer. 'We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian LNG. I'm not sure, but I think that is the European Union. We are not a country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022. I think there are some countries to the south,' he said. While China is the largest buyer of Russian oil, the US has not imposed any specific tariffs on Beijing in response to its purchases of crude from Moscow. Both countries are currently in the middle of talks for a trade deal, with Washington postponing the imposition of country-specific tariffs on China until November. India has consistently maintained that its imports are guided by market factors and cited the necessity of securing cheap energy for its large population. Jaishankar also recalled that Washington itself had urged New Delhi to help stabilise global energy markets. 'We are a country where actually the Americans said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy markets, including buying oil from Russia. Incidentally, we also buy oil from America and that amount has been increasing,' he added. He noted that his talks with Lavrov and first deputy prime minister Denis Manturov had focused on preparing concrete outcomes for the annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin later this year. Discussions covered negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, market access, trade barriers and cooperation in energy, fertilisers, infrastructure and skilled labour mobility. The minister also called on Putin at the end of his three-day visit. He additionally raised concern over Indian nationals recruited into the Russian Army. 'While many have been released, there are still some pending cases and some missing persons. We hope that the Russian side will expeditiously resolve these matters,' he said. According to official Indian figures, 126 Indians had been enlisted, of whom 96 have been discharged, 12 were killed and 16 remain missing or unaccounted for. China, meanwhile, went beyond merely opposing the US tariffs to explicitly aligning itself with India. In a speech in New Delhi to mark the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, ambassador Xu accused the US of undermining global trade rules. 'The United States has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India and even threatened for more. China firmly opposes it,' he said. He warned that 'in the face of such acts, silence or compromise only emboldens the bully', and pledged that 'China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core'. Xu also framed Sino-Indian cooperation as essential for the wider region. Calling China and India the 'double engines of economic growth in Asia', he urged the two neighbours to 'enhance strategic mutual trust' and work together to 'safeguard international fairness and justice' in the face of tariff wars and protectionism. Modi is expected to travel to China later this month for the SCO summit, his first visit in seven years. Ties between the two countries were largely frozen for four years during the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which was resolved in October 2024. This article went live on August twenty-first, two thousand twenty five, at twenty-eight minutes past eleven at night. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Advertisement
Economic Times
29 minutes ago
- Economic Times
US behaving like a bully; China will firmly stand with India: Xu
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, the Chinese envoy Xu Feihong criticizes the US trade policies. Xu calls the US a bully for imposing tariffs. He asserts China will support India against these actions. Both nations should enhance strategic trust. China welcomes more Indian goods. India has an edge in IT and biomedicine. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Ahead of PM Narendra Modi's Tianjin visit to attend the SCO summit, Chinese envoy to India Xu Feihong on Thursday accused the US of behaving like a "bully" and said that while the country always benefited from free trade, it is now using tariffs as "bargaining chips".Xu said "China will firmly stand with India", asserting that the two countries are double engines of economic growth in Asia."US has long benefited greatly from free trade but now uses tariffs as bargain chips to demand exorbitant prices from various countries. The US imposed tariffs of up to 50% on India, and has even threatened more. China firmly opposes it. In the face of such acts, silence only emboldens the bully. China will firmly stand with India to uphold the multilateral trading system with world trade."He said that the international order is going through a big change, which is why, China and India as major developing countries, should be united and cooperate with each other. "China and India's friendship benefits Asia. We are the double engines of economic growth in Asia. India and China unity benefits the world at large," the envoy said all Indian commodities are welcome to enter the Chinese market and that both the countries should enhance " strategic mutual trust " and "avoid mutual suspicion", adding "Both countries are partners, not rivals. We should manage differences through dialogue...""We'll welcome more Indian goods to enter the Chinese market. India has a competitive edge in IT, software and biomedicine, while the Chinese see a rapid expansion in the fields of electronic manufacturing, infrastructure construction and new energy," said Xu. "If connected, the two major markets will produce an effect of one plus one bigger than two," he was speaking at a conference organised by Chintan Research Foundation and Centre for Global India Insights here.
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
'Alliance govt. has cheated people on VSP,' alleges YSRCP leader
YSRCP district president K.K. Raju has alleged that the TDP-JSP-BJP alliance government in the State has cheated the people by promising to fight against privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) before the elections but is going back on it now. Addressing the media on Thursday evening, Mr. Raju recalled that the previous YSRCP government had passed a resolution in the Assembly against the privatisation of VSP and formally communicated the same to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He demanded that the TDP and JSP MPs should withdraw their support to the Centre to pressure the Modi-led government to revoke its decision on the strategic sale of VSP. He urged the coalition government to demand allocation of captive mines to VSP for long-term viability. He also called upon the TDP and JSP leaders to join the agitation against the privatisation of VSP and show their commitment to the people of the State and North Andhra.
