Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Saturday strongly criticised the Modi government's decision to abstain from voting on a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Saturday strongly criticised the Modi government's decision to abstain from voting on a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Khera accused the government of moral cowardice and betrayal of India's anti-colonial legacy and values of the freedom struggle.
"India's June 12, 2025, 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," Khera said in a statement shared on handle X.
UN member nations Thursday voted overwhelmingly to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and unrestricted access for the delivery of desperately needed food to 2 million Palestinians.
The vote in the 193-member General Assembly was 149-12 with 19 abstentions, including India. It was adopted with a burst of applause. The United States and its close ally, Israel, opposed the resolution, along with Argentina, Hungary, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, and six Pacific island nations.
India, ironically, abstained from voting for the fourth time in three years, indicating a growing trend in the Modi government's policy not to vote on statements critical of Israel's bombardment of Gaza.
Describing India's abstention as a "shameful betrayal" of India's historical support for Palestine, Khera highlighted India's past support for Palestine, including recognising the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1974 and formally recognising Palestinian statehood in 1988.
Accusing the Modi government of hypocrisy, Khera cited a BJP MP's recent statements glorifying India's support for Palestine while abstaining from the UN vote.
"A BJP MP's recent theatrics of glorifying India's support of Palestine exposes this abstention as an epitome of hypocrisy and this government's schizophrenic foreign policy," Khera accused.
Khera also emphasised the need for India to show courage and speak out for innocent lives, stating that global leadership cannot be built on silence and sycophancy.
"As Israel sets West Asia ablaze - bombing Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran - Modi's complicity has abandoned India's conscience. The world does not listen to the nation that speaks loudest, it listens to a nation that speaks with clarity, courage, and conscience. And India must never surrender that voice," Khera said.
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