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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Parliament today with a handbag displaying a bold "Palestine" tag. Her gesture drew sharp reactions from the BJP who termed it as "crass communal posturing".
Priyanka Gandhi, who has been vocal about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, previously described Israel's military actions as "barbaric and inhuman." The latest debate over her stance comes a day after she hosted Palestine embassy representative Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer at her residence. The diplomat congratulated her on her Lok Sabha victory from Wayanad and urged India to take a leadership role in facilitating a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.
"Was the bag a statement? Why has she kept mum on issues of Bangladeshi Hindus? It is a big question mark," BJP MP Anurag Thakur told News Agency. "It is an Indian Parliament. MPs are elected here from across the country to try and raise the concerns of 140 crore Indians. The opposition did not let the House function for two weeks. First, it was Asaduddin Owaisi who raised a 'Jai Palestine' slogan, and now it is Priyanka Gandhi who brought a Palestine bag to Parliament."
Amit Malviya, the BJP's IT cell head, accused the Wayanad MP of using "communal virtue signalling" under the guise of a stand against patriarchy. "At the end of this Parliament session, observe a two-minute silence for everyone in the Congress who believed Priyanka Vadra was the solution. Sporting a bag in support of Palestine in Parliament is crass communal posturing," he said. "Make no mistake, Congress is the New Muslim League.
At the end of this Parliament session, observe a two minute silence for everyone in the Congress, who believed Priyanka Vadra was the long-awaited solution, they should have embraced earlier. She is a bigger disaster than Rahul Gandhi, who thinks sporting a bag in support of… pic.twitter.com/UHofKVKdei
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 16, 2024
"People do such things for news. When they have been rejected by the people, they resort to such actions," said BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana as quoted by news agency IANS.
Ms Gandhi shot back at her detractors, stating, "Tell them to do something about the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, talk to the Bangladesh government, and not say stupid things."
In July, Ms Gandhi had described the Israeli military offensive as "a violation of international law" and urged governments worldwide to pressure Israel to halt its actions.
It is no longer enough to speak up for the civilians, mothers, fathers, doctors, nurses, aid workers, journalists, teachers, writers, poets, senior citizens and the thousands of innocent children who are being wiped out day after day by the horrific genocide taking place in Gaza.…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 26, 2024
India's Stance On Israel-Palestine
India has long supported a two-state solution, advocating for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed this position in Parliament, last week stressing India's commitment to a "sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state." Responding to allegations of India abstaining from UN resolutions on Gaza, Mr Jaishankar clarified that India had supported 10 of 13 resolutions concerning Palestine at the UN General Assembly since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023.
India has also provided significant humanitarian aid to Palestine. Since the onset of the conflict, the Centre has delivered approximately 70 metric tonnes of relief materials, including medicines, and contributed $5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.
India-Palestine Relations
India's ties with Palestine date back nearly five decades. In 1974, India became the first non-Arab nation to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). Diplomatic relations deepened in 1996, when India established a representative office in Gaza, later shifted to Ramallah in the West Bank in 2003.
The Centre strongly condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed over 1,000 Israelis and led to the kidnapping of many others. It has also called for restraint and the protection of civilian lives in the besieged Palestinian enclave Gaza where the death count has crossed 40,000.