The Congress party on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi-led central government for abstaining from voting on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The opposition accused the government of abandoning India’s historic and principled foreign policy, and demanded explanations from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the government’s decision to abstain, stating that India's foreign policy was "in shambles" and questioned whether India had given up its long-held stance against war, genocide, and injustice. “It is now increasingly evident that our foreign policy is in disarray. Perhaps, Prime Minister Modi needs to reconsider his External Affairs Minister’s repeated blunders and enforce accountability,” Kharge posted on X.
He noted that 149 countries voted in favour of the UN resolution, while only 19—including India—chose to abstain. “We stand virtually isolated by this move,” he added. Kharge reiterated that while Congress had unequivocally condemned the October 8, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, it had also consistently opposed the disproportionate Israeli military response, which has included a blockade and relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip. “Over 60,000 people have died. The region is facing a horrific humanitarian crisis,” he said.
He questioned whether India has now abandoned its consistent position advocating for ceasefire, peace, and dialogue in the Middle East and West Asia—principles, he said, that were deeply embedded in India’s tradition of non-alignment and moral diplomacy. Kharge reminded that on October 19, 2023, the Congress party had called for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assistance to Gaza. “India cannot afford to remain silent or passive while the region suffers violence, catastrophe, and growing instability,” he asserted.
Echoing Kharge’s concerns, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said that India has traditionally stood for peace, justice, and human dignity. “But today, we find ourselves alone. India is now the only country in South Asia, BRICS, and the SCO to abstain from a UNGA resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza,” Venugopal wrote on X. “Over 60,000 have been killed—mostly women and children. Thousands are starving. Aid is being blocked. A humanitarian disaster is unfolding.”
Venugopal asked whether India has abandoned its moral stand against war and genocide and demanded to know what had changed in the last six months. “India previously voted in favour of a ceasefire in December 2024. What has changed since then?” he questioned. He also took aim at the government for disregarding the legacies of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, both of whom had upheld strong positions in support of Palestine. Venugopal said India has always been a principled voice for justice, ceasefire, and diplomacy, and must not fall silent now.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also voiced her disappointment, calling India’s abstention “a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy.” In a post on X, she accused the Modi government of passively supporting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aggressive actions.
“Not only are we standing silent as Netanyahu annihilates a nation, we are cheering him on as his government attacks Iran and assassinates its leadership, violating international law and sovereignty,” Vadra said.
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She asked how India, a nation shaped by constitutional values and a freedom struggle rooted in peace and justice, could abandon its principles. “There is no justification for this. True global leadership demands the courage to stand up for justice. India has shown that courage before, and must do so again,” she said, calling for a return to truth and non-violence.
Congress spokesperson and AICC media department head Pawan Khera described India’s abstention as “an act of staggering moral cowardice” and “a shameful betrayal” of the country’s anti-colonial and humanitarian legacy. He recalled that India was once a strong supporter of Palestine—becoming the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1974, hosting Yasser Arafat at the 1983 Non-Aligned Movement summit in Delhi, and formally recognising Palestinian statehood in 1988.
“We once stood for justice as a principle, not as strategy. But today, that proud legacy lies in ruins,” Khera said. He further slammed the abstention as a “craven U-turn” from India’s vote in December 2024 supporting a permanent ceasefire. “The Modi government stands for nothing, remembers nothing, and only chases photo-ops—even if they involve blood-soaked handshakes,” he added.
Khera accused Prime Minister Modi of complicity as Israel’s military actions continue to inflame the region. “As Israel bombs Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran, Modi’s silence betrays India’s conscience,” he stated. “The world doesn’t listen to the loudest voice—it listens to the voice that speaks with clarity, courage, and conscience. That must be India’s voice.”
The 193-member UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted the ceasefire resolution introduced by Spain, with 149 countries voting in favour, 12 opposing, and 19—including India—abstaining. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, acknowledged that the vote came amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Also Read: Congress slams India’s UNGA abstention on Gaza
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