Mumbai: As India abstained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution calling for immediate humanitarian truce in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday targeted the Centre saying that there was "total confusion" in the approach of the Narendra Modi government to the Palestine issue.
Several thousand people have been killed in Gaza in a massive counter-offensive by Israel following deadly raids on October 7 by Hamas. Addressing a news conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Pawar said India “never supported the way Gaza is being attacked, hospitals were being bombed, resulting in the death of thousands”.
"Today, there is total confusion in the Indian government's policy. I have never seen such confusion from the Indian government over the Palestine and Gaza issue. The first statement of the PM totally supported Israel. When there was a reaction from the outside world and (within)India, the foreign ministry took a different line and spoke in favour of Palestine," Pawar, a former defence minister, claimed.
India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The resolution was moved by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 nations, including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa. The 10th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted on the draft resolution.
Also read: 'Shocking': CPI(M), CPI on India abstaining from UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire
While 120 votes were cast in favor of this resolution, only 14 votes were cast against it. Besides, 45 countries including India, Canada, Germany and Britain did not participate in the voting process. The opposition has now attacked the government for distancing itself from the resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Besides NCP president Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi along with Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the government over the move. Earlier this month, after Hamas launched its incursions, PM Narendra Modi had expressed solidarity with Israel and condemned the "terrorist attacks". "Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," Modi had said. On Oct 10, Modi told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that “people of India stand firmly” with his country, expressing “strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms”.
On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the strikes by Hamas on Israeli cities as "terror attacks", but also reaffirmed India's long-standing position, advocating negotiations towards establishing a "sovereign, independent and viable" state of Palestine living side-by-side at peace with Israel.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing there was a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law as also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
