INDIA
Minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj displayed a cool attitude as the discussion on the Israeli attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip, scheduled to be of half-an-hour stretched to over two-and-half-hours, from noon till a little over three in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Then she replied to the discussion saying that it would have been better if the opposition had demanded a ceasefire and an end to the killings instead of demanding a resolution condemning Israel. She said that she would go with the Leftist poet Sahir Ludhianvi's poem against war, quoted by Nationalist Congress Party's Majid Memon, and she quoted another quatrain from the poet, condemning war and violence.
She also defended party colleagues Amit Dalve and Tarun Vijaya who tried to circumvent the debate on Palestine by indulging in generalisations, and said that the NDA government was not dealing with foreign policy issues from a communal angle. She reminded the opposition that she got out 40 Indians who were in a Saudi prison, and they were all Muslims, on an urgent basis, as she did in the case of Indian nurses stranded in Iraq, many of whom were Christians from Kerala. She said that when an Indian was abroad in trouble, it was the Indian citizen and not his or her religion that mattered. She was countering the innuendo that the BJP-led NDA government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would display majoritarian bias.
That was the rhetorical part and it would have seemed that the Modi government was using every ruse to avoid condemning Israel. She went over the facts of the case, and she defended the government's engagement with the issue as could be seen in the BRICS declaration which squarely condemned Israeli aggression, and she cited a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs which was critical of Israel's disproportionate use of violence against civilians in Gaza.
Then she recapitulated the situation on ground in Gaza. She said, and without comment, that Israel-Palestine Authority under Mahmoud Abbas broke down after Hamas and Palestine Authority came together in the wake of Saudi Arabia's mediation and what came to be known as unity talks. After hostilities broke out, Egypt had convened a meeting with the two wings of Palestine and Israel, and urged a ceasefire.
Israel accepted it but Hamas did not. She said that all the Arab governments were for a permanent ceasefire.
She told the House that India contributes $20 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority and $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which works exclusively for Palestinian refugees.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, opening the debate, said that if the House had discussed the issue last week then it would have been the case that India was the first to react. Congress' deputy leader Anand Sharma made much of whether the issue of Palestine came up during the bilaterals with China and Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury wanted that India temporarily suspend its defense purchases from Israel. All of the Opposition parties insisted that there be a resolution condemning Israeli aggression.
Swaraj said that the rule under which the discussion took place did not allow for a resolution. Deputy chairman PJ Kurien said that the rule did not allow for a resolution but if there is a consensus in the House, then a resolution could be moved and adopted. The government refused, and the opposition staged a walk out.
Parliament's winter session to begin from Nov 25, to continue till Dec 20
IPL 2025 mega auction dates announced: Check no. of players, venue, where to watch and more
Deepinder Goyal reveals customers' reaction to wife Grecia Munoz delivering Zomato orders
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy flirts with Sudha Murty in viral video from Kapil Sharma show
Ajay Devgn's fans don't want Singham Again to become a blockbuster: 'Rohit Shetty jab tak hai...'
Types, Most Popular and Where to Buy Peptides for Bodybuilding
Luxury in the City of Light: SABO Boutique Hotel Brings Elegance to Varanasi’s Sacred Ghats
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam could play for same team as Afro-Asia Cup set for revival
Shaping the Future of Web Apps: Full Stack Developer’s Expertise in API Design and Cloud Deployment
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Software Performance and Security
Mastering Linux for Superior Sound
Amid divorce rumours of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, Aaradhya praises mother in viral video
AI in Data Warehousing: Future Trends and Innovations
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio IPO worth Rs 840960 crore in 2025: All you need to know
After India's 0-3 loss against New Zealand, Shah Rukh Khan calls Gautam Gambhir...
BIG revelation on Imane Khelif, Olympic gold medallist boxer's medical repot leaked, it confirms…
Meet man who built Rs 152000 crore company, donated Rs 100 crore, now set to lead US firm as...
Visa Uncertainty: Impact of US polls on global talent
Virat Kohli turns 36: IPL franchises send heartwarming birthday wishes to legendary India cricketer
Meet Sanjay Verma, the new DGP of Maharashtra who replaced Rashmi Shukla
Anushka Sharma shares FIRST photo of Akaay, Vamika to celebrate Virat Kohli’s birthday
CAT 2024 admit card to be out today at iimcat.ac.in; know release time, steps to download
Vikas Divyakirti UPSC Tips: Check strategy to crack IAS exam, aspirants should study for...
Video of Pakistani man putting hand into chained tiger's mouth goes viral, social media reacts
Shalini Passi reveals her husband's connection to Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri Khan, they were..
SC upholds validity of UP madrassa law, says it does not violate principle of secularism
US Presidential Elections 2024: What time do the polls close; when will the results be known?
Elon Musk shares controversial post on X amid US election results, video goes viral
Mukesh Ambani's company earned Rs 15393 crore last week, his net worth now stands at...
Chhath Puja 2024: Know about Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, Usha Arghya, date, timings and puja vidhi
Virat Kohli Birthday: Legendary batter turns 36, here's a look at his incredible milestones
When Ratan Tata met his first true love after 50 years, went for dinner together, know who she was
Samantha Ruth Prabhu hits back at trolls who body-shamed her: 'If you guys...'
Two fall prey to Narayana Murthy and Mukesh Ambani's deepfake videos, lose Rs 80 lakh: Report
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of US election
Deepika Padukone romances Hrithik Roshan in Bikini, looks sizzling hot in UNSEEN viral video
Chhath Puja 2024: Top 50 wishes, What'sApp messages, quotes to share with your loved ones
Meet Caroline Emmons, Ratan Tata's 'first love' with whom he couldn't marry due to...
Who is Rohan Jaitley, frontrunner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary?
World’s most expensive human tooth is valued over Rs 3000000, it belonged to…
Viral video: Little girl’s adorable dance to Lisa Haydon’s 'Manali Trance' impresses internet, watch
SC to deliver its verdict on pleas against Allahabad HC order scrapping UP madrasa law today
DNA TV Show: Why Election Commission changed Assembly by-elections' dates
Days after imposing fine on Anil Ambani, Sebi now issues Rs 130 crore demand notices to...
Thailand announces indefinite visa-free entry for Indian travellers
Meet daughter of billionaire, who studied in UK, now works in Rs 32770 crore Indian company as...
MUDA case: Lokayukta police summon Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for questioning on...
This city is 4000 years old, belongs to bronze age where 500 people lived, it is located in...
Kamala Harris has been the President of US before? Here's when and how
What is elimination inflammation diet that helped Vidya Balan lose weight?