Congress is attacking the government for abstaining from voting on the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza. While 149 countries voted in favour, India was among only 19 nations that abstained. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with senior leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Pawan Khera and K C Venugopal, criticised India’s decision, calling it a dangerous shift from the country’s long-standing foreign policy of non-alignment, moral diplomacy, and support for peace and justice.Kharge said that India’s foreign policy was now “in shambles” and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take responsibility for the “repeated blunders”. He pointed out that India now stood virtually isolated with its abstention. “149 countries voted for a UNGA resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. India was only one of the 19 countries that abstained. We virtually stand isolated by this step,” Kharge said.Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called India’s UN abstention “shameful and disappointing,” saying, “This is a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy. In fact, not only are we standing silent as Mr Netanyahu annihilates an entire nation, we are cheering on as his government attacks Iran and assassinates its leadership in flagrant violation of its sovereignty and complete contravention of all international norms.”Meanwhile, Pawan Khera called the abstention an act of “staggering moral cowardice”. He reminded that India had once been among the first non-Arab states to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1974, hosted Yasser Arafat at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in 1983, and recognised Palestinian statehood in 1988.He also accused the government of reversing its own stand from December 2024, when India had voted in favour of a ceasefire. He called the abstention hypocritical, pointing out that while BJP leaders glorify India’s support for Palestine in speeches, their actions say otherwise.K C Venugopal echoed these sentiments, saying that India has always stood for peace, justice, and dignity. He noted that India was the only country in South Asia, BRICS, and SCO to abstain while the humanitarian crisis worsened. He questioned what had changed in six months for India to shift from supporting a ceasefire to abstaining. “We know this government has little regard for Nehru ji’s legacy, but why abandon even Vajpayee ji’s principled stance on Palestine?” he asked.Also read: Iran strikes back after Israel’s Operation Rising Lion; Netanyahu warns ‘more is on the way’
India’s permanent representative to the UN, P Harish, said that the abstention was consistent with India’s previous votes and emphasised India’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy. The United States, Israel, and 10 others voted against the resolution. Major American allies like the UK, Australia, and Japan supported the resolution.
