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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his criticism of the central government's foreign policy, arguing that India is drifting into Israel's strategic orbit while the rest of the world increasingly pivots away. Gandhi's sharp remarks come in support of a recent editorial by Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in which she urges the nation to reclaim its independent voice and advocate for peace and 'humanitarian values' in Gaza.
Rahul Gandhi, in a post shared on X, reiterated a humanitarian appeal, echoing the editorial written by the CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Highlighting his alignment with the CPP Chairperson's position, he wrote, "Through her editorial, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji calls on India to reclaim its independent foreign policy, uphold humanitarian values, and speak up with moral clarity on Gaza." Leader of Opposition further detailed his concerns regarding India's current diplomatic path, alleging that India is becoming dangerously aligned with Israel's 'strategic orbit' at a time when much of the world is distancing itself. He wrote, "We are slipping further into Israel's strategic orbit, at a time when the world is increasingly pivoting away from it. The Prime Minister's visit to Israel will go down in history as a bewildering strategic decision." Emphasising the humanitarian imperative as the core of his message, he wrote, "The spirit of Indian nationhood demands that we speak up for our Palestinian brothers and sisters whose children have been so brutally targeted." Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in a post on X, referenced Sonia Gandhi's writing to illustrate how the current foreign policy has caused India to lose its traditional standing among key partners in Iran and the Middle East, stating, "We have also distanced ourselves from global public opinion." He wrote, "Sonia Gandhi's evocative piece calling out Modi Govt's silence and inaction for our Palestinian brothers and sisters, whose children have been brutally targeted, is a stark reminder of how our current foreign policy has alienated our historical allies in Palestine, Iran, and the larger Middle East. We have also distanced ourselves from global public opinion." Meanwhile, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her article, also questioned the Modi government's stance on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. Sonia Gandhi argued that the current administration's lack of a public position is inconsistent with India's national interests and moral traditions. Earlier in the day, Sonia Gandhi's remarks, which highlight the suffering of Palestinian families, were also posted by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to emphasise the urgent need for a shift in the government's current foreign policy approach. "The calculus of national interest demands that we respond to the global public opinion against the Israeli regime's genocidal actions in Gaza and its brutal displacement and dispossession of lakhs of Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank. The Modi government's continued silence simply cannot be explained rationally or morally. -Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, CPP Chairperson," the post read. Meanwhile, on June 20, Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least six people, including two children and a cameraman with broadcaster Al Jazeera, according to Palestinian health officials, as reported by Politico. Earlier in June, the Palestinian Ministry of Health claimed the Palestinian health sector is facing a serious and unprecedented humanitarian crisis as a result of the suffocating financial crisis and the continued financial siege imposed by Israel, a situation they claim now threatens the lives of thousands of Palestinian patients and places the healthcare system on the brink of collapse. According to the Palestinian side, the situation further deteriorated amid sharp economic decline, rising poverty and unemployment rates, and the increasing dependence of Palestinian citizens on already overstretched public healthcare services. The Palestinian side further warned that the continued deterioration of the healthcare sector constitutes a grave humanitarian threat and calls upon the international community, humanitarian organisations, and donor states to take urgent action to support the Palestinian health sector and safeguard the right of Palestinian patients to life and medical treatment. (ANI)
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