Priyanka expresses shock after India abstains from voting for a ceasefire in Gaza

New Delhi : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday expressed shock over India abstaining from the voting for a ceasefire in Gaza, and slammed the Central government saying that refusing to take a stand and watching in silence as every law of humanity is pulverised in Palestine is being annihilated goes against everything our country has stood for.

She also said that our country is founded on the principles of non-violence and truth and they represent the moral courage of India that guided its actions as a member of the international community.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Priyanka Gandhi said: “'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’, Mahatma Gandhi. I am shocked and ashamed that our country has abstained from voting for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Reminding of the principles of India, she said that our country was founded on the principles of non-violence and truth, principles for which our freedom fighters laid down their lives, these principles form the basis of the Constitution that defines our nationhood.

“They represent the moral courage of India that guided its actions as a member of the international community,” the Congress leader said.

“To refuse to take a stand and watch in silence as every law of humanity is pulverised, food, water, medical supplies, communication and power is cut off to millions of people and thousands of men, women and children in Palestine are being annihilated goes against everything our country has stood for throughout its life as a nation,” Priyanka Gandhi added.

Her remarks came after India on Friday abstained in the UN General Assembly from voting on a draft resolution submitted by Jordan, that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict, as it did not make any mention of the terrorist group Hamas. In a first, India has voted against a UN General Assembly resolution backing the Palestine cause.

India's opposition to the resolution on Friday was because it failed to condemn Hamas for its terrorist attack and the Assembly rejected an amendment supported by New Delhi that would have named the terror group.

India's Deputy Permanent Representative Yojna Patel said after the vote: "The terror attacks in Israel on October 7 were shocking and deserve condemnation."

"Violence as a means to achieve political objectives damages indiscriminately, and does not pave the way for any durable solutions. The terror attacks in Israel on October 7 were shocking and deserve condemnation. Our thoughts are also with those taken hostages. We call for their immediate and unconditional release. Terrorism is a malignancy and knows no borders, nationality, or race. The world should not buy into any justification of terror acts. Let us keep aside differences, unite and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism," she added.

Even Indian Overseas Congress Secretary Virendra Vashisth on Friday met Palestine Ambassador to India in solidarity.

“Our foundation with Palestine from first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru era to all successive prime ministers and it was the reason why the government had to change its statement earlier. And non violence and peace is the only way to find a solution and we also follow the policy of zero tolerance omn terrorism,” he said.

Fighting in the Gaza Strip has entered day 22 after Hamas members launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 1,400 people on October 7. Since the October 7 Hamas attack, Gaza's health ministry has said that Israel's retaliatory bombardments have killed more than 7,000 Palestinians.