Palestine, Bangladesh and Priyanka balancing act

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi On Monday was seen carrying a bag emblazoned with the word  ‘Palestine’ to Parliament in a show of solidarity for Palestinians for whom she has been raising voice for some time now.

The Palestine-themed handbag stirred up quite a political storm with sharp criticism from rival BJP, which termed it “crass communal posturing” and called the Congress “new Muslim league”.

Later speaking in the Lok Sabha, she urged the BJP-led government to raise the issue of atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh.

“The government should raise the issue of atrocities against minorities, both Hindus and Christians, in Bangladesh. It should discuss this with the Bangladesh government and support those who are in pain,” she said.

For observers her statement in Parliament was a “deft balancing act”.

Not the first time

This is also not the first time Priyanka has raise voice against Israel’s actions in Gaza or expressed solidarity with Palestinians.

Amid the rising death toll in Gaza, she has been criticising Israeli PM Benjamin  Netanyahu.

“It is the moral responsibility of every right-thinking individual, including all those Israeli citizens who do not believe in hatred and violence, and every government in the world to condemn the Israeli government’s genocidal actions and force them to stop,” she had said in a post on X. after Netanyahu defended Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza in a speech to the US Congress.

Then, last week, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge d’affaires of the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi, called on Priyanka at her residence.

The aim was to congratulate her on her recent election victory from Kerala’s Wayanad but during the meeting the diplomat is also said to have urged India to take a leadership role in facilitating a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.

Priyanka, too, condemned the continuation of the Israeli war in Gaza and the silence of the international community on the matter, it was reported.

“I met Priyanka Gandhi at her residence to congratulate her on her victory as a member of the Indian Parliament in the 18th Lok Sabha (Wayanad) constituency,” Abu Jazer said about the meeting on Tuesday, adding that the Congress leader affirmed  support for the Palestinian people’s struggle to achieve their aspirations of freedom and independence.

On BJP questioning her clear display of solidarity with Palestine, Priyanka today said, “no one will decide what I would wear”.

“Who is going to decide what clothes I am going to wear? This is typical patriarchy, deciding what a woman should wear,” she was quoted as saying

BJP—Congress new Muslim league

The BJP saw Priyanka’s show of support for war-ravaged Palestine in the form of the bag as appeasement of Muslims and questioned her silence on Bangladesh

Calling Congress “the new Muslim League,  ” BJP’s Amit Malviya called Priyanka a “bigger disaster than Rahul Gandhi".

“At the end of this Parliament session, observe a two minute silence for everyone in the Congress, who believed Priyanka Vadra was the long-awaited solution, they should have embraced earlier. She is a bigger disaster than Rahul Gandhi, who thinks sporting a bag in support of Palestine in the Parliament, is about fighting patriarchy. That is right. Crass communal virtue signaling to Muslims is now cloaked as stance against patriarchy!  ” he posted on X.

“Was the bag a statement? Why has she kept mum on issues of Bangladeshi Hindus? It is a big question mark,” BJP MP Anurag Thakur was quoted as saying

“It is an Indian Parliament. MPs are elected here from across the country to try and raise the concerns of 140 crore Indians. The opposition did not let the House function for two weeks. First, it was Asaduddin Owaisi who raised a 'Jai Palestine' slogan, and now it is Priyanka Gandhi who brought a Palestine bag to Parliament,” he added.

India-Palestine

India has a long-held stance on the Israel-Palestine issue, supporting a two-state solution —establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed it in Parliament, stating that India supports a two-state solution.

“We have been public and unambiguous about that. There should be no cause for confusion regarding a two-State solution,” Jaishankar said in response to questions on India’s stance on the conflict.

“We condemn terrorism and hostage-taking. We do believe countries have the right to respond to the situation, but countries should be mindful of civilian casualties. They must observe humanitarian law, and we would like a ceasefire and an early end to violence,” he said.

Regarding allegations of India abstaining from UN resolutions on Gaza, Jaishankar said India had supported 10 of 13 resolutions concerning Palestine at the UN General Assembly since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023.

India strongly condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

It also provided significant humanitarian aid to Palestine, urging for restraint and the protection of civilian lives in Gaza.