The Bharatiya Janata Party has slammed the Trinamool Congress for organising support processions for embattled Gaza, calling the action “anti-national”. Cabinet Minister in the West Bengal Government Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who is the Library Services Minister in the Mamata Banerjee Government, organised a protest march in support of Palestine amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas terrorists, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people till now.
“Mamata Banerjee is behind the anti-national act of her Minister with an eye towards the Muslim vote bank,” said Shamik Bhattacharya, the BJP’s chief spokesperson, adding: “The act of Mamata’s Cabinet Minister threatens the friendly relations that India has with Israel.”
Chowdhury is a Muslim cleric and the state chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and one of the leading Muslim faces in Mamata Banerjee’s Government. In his speech at the rally, Siddiqullah Chowdhury questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his tweet supporting Israel in its war against Hamas.
“There seems to be a dual policy in the case of Palestine. PM Modi tweets and says that he is supporting Israel. Two days ago, India’s External Affairs Ministry said that the Government of India supports Palestine. Why this dual policy? Narendra Modi says one nation, one election, but over here one nation, two policies,” Chowdhury said.
He further added that India should be supportive of Middle-East countries instead of Israel, which he termed as a “sinking ship”.
“Israel doesn’t listen to anyone. They have held their own as hostages. Israel pays no attention to the United Nations or even the security council. The people of West Bengal and India are supportive of the Palestinian cause. We welcome the stand of the Ministry of External Affairs,” he said.
Last Sunday, a day after Hamas launched its incursions, PM Modi expressed solidarity with Israel and condemned the “terrorist attacks”.
“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
On October 10, PM Modi reiterated his stance after receiving a phone call from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. PM Modi said that the people of India stand firmly with Israel, expressing strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms.
On Thursday, the MEA described the strikes by Hamas on Israeli cities as “terror attacks”, but also reaffirmed India’s long-standing position, advocating negotiations towards establishing a “sovereign, independent and viable” State of Palestine living side-by-side at peace with Israel.