On Saturday, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed her dismay over India’s decision to abstain from voting on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she said, “Eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
“I am shocked and ashamed that our country has abstained from voting for a ceasefire in Gaza. Our county 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,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a post on X.
She further stated, “To refuse to take a stand and watch in silence as every law of humanity is pulverized, 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.”
On the voting front, India’s decision to abstain on the resolution tabled by Jordan in the UN received attention. The resolution sought an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Canada proposed an amendment to the resolution, which garnered support from India and 87 other nations but could not secure the necessary two-thirds majority.
Ultimately, the Jordanian-led draft resolution was adopted by the General Assembly with 120 votes in favour, 14 against, and 45 abstentions. Notable nations that abstained from voting included Iceland, India, Panama, Lithuania, and Greece.
India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yojna Patel, expressed concerns over the deteriorating security situation and civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict. She called for de-escalation and stressed India’s longstanding support for a “negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.”
