Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 14: A day after India abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, accusing it of derailing India’s long-standing foreign policy principles.
The resolution, introduced by Spain, received overwhelming support from 149 member states, demanding an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire amid the relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has killed over 50,000 and displaced millions. India was among only 19 countries that chose to abstain, prompting sharp domestic political backlash.
Kharge, in a post on X, said, “It is now increasingly evident that our Foreign Policy is in shambles. Perhaps, PM Modi must now take a call on his EAM’s repeated blunders and set some accountability. We virtually stand isolated by this step.”
The Congress chief reiterated his party’s clear stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, recalling its October 2023 condemnation of Hamas’ attacks on Israel, while also strongly criticizing Israel’s retaliatory strikes that have led to a massive humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He questioned whether India had forsaken its long-standing position of advocating peace and diplomacy in the region. “Have we abandoned India’s consistent stand advocating for a ceasefire, peace, and dialogue in the Middle East and West Asia?” he asked.
Kharge framed India’s traditional foreign policy through the lens of non-alignment and moral diplomacy, which, he said, had historically guided India’s response to international conflicts with a focus on justice and humanitarianism.
“India cannot stand by silently or passively while the region faces horrific violence, humanitarian catastrophe, and increasing instability,” he added, emphasizing that a nation with India’s legacy cannot afford moral ambivalence in such a crisis.
The abstention has renewed debate on whether India is compromising its diplomatic principles in favor of strategic alignments, as critics argue the government’s silence is undermining its global credibility on issues of peace and human rights.