Sonia Gandhi condemns India abstention from voting for Gaza ceasefire

In an editorial piece published in a leading daily on Monday, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi condemned India abstaining from voting in the UN for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying the grand old party's stand on the issue of Israel and Palestine has been consistent over the years.

The Congress shared the editorial on its official X platform.

"Contrary to some mischievous suggestions, the position of the Indian National Congress has been long-standing and principled: it is to support direct negotiations for a sovereign independent, viable and secure state of Palestine coexisting in peace with Israel.

"This is also the stand taken by the Ministry of External Affairs on October 12, 2023. It is noteworthy that the reiteration of India's historic position on Palestine came only after Israel began its assault on Gaza. The Prime Minister had made no mention of Palestinian rights in the initial statement expressing complete solidarity with Israel," Sonia Gandhi wrote.

"The Indian National Congress is strongly opposed to India's abstention on the recent United Nations General Assembly Resolution calling for an 'immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities' between Israeli forces and Hamas in Gaza," she wrote in the piece titled 'A war where humanity is on trial now'.

On both Israel and Palestine sides, many want dialogue and consider it to be the only way forward, she wrote, calling it unfortunate that many influential countries are being wholly partisan.

"It is unfortunate that many influential countries are being wholly partisan when they should be trying utmost to end the war. The loudest and most powerful voices should be for a cessation of military activity. Otherwise, this cycle will continue and make it difficult for anyone in the region to live in peace for a long time to come," she wrote.

India recently abstained from voting in the UNGA on the Jordan-drafted resolution that called for a truce in Israel.

India had voted in favour of an amendment proposed by Canada to insert a paragraph condemning Hamas.

Many Congress leaders, including her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have slammed the government for abstaining from the voting for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying "to refuse to take a stand and watch in silence as every law of humanity is pulverised in Palestine goes against everything our country has stood for throughout its life as a nation".

Priyanka Gandhi said she was "shocked and ashamed" that "our country has abstained from voting for a ceasefire in Gaza".