Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government for what she described as a “cowardly betrayal” of India’s constitutional values in response to the ongoing Gaza crisis.
Writing in Dainik Jagran, she called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza “genocide” and accused the Modi government of being a “mute spectator to this affront to humanity.”
She said Modi’s silence in the face of mass civilian casualties was “deeply disappointing” and the “height of moral cowardice.”
In her article titled ‘Gaza sankat par mookdarshak Modi sarkaar’, Gandhi said nothing can justify Hamas’ “barbaric attacks” on Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, or its continued holding of hostages. However, she argued that Israel’s reprisals against Gaza’s civilian population have been “downright criminal.”
Over the past two years, more than 55,000 Palestinian civilians — including 17,000 children — have been killed, she noted. Residential areas, hospitals, and essential infrastructure in Gaza have been decimated, and the region has been cut off from food, fuel, and medicine due to a strict military blockade, Sonia Gandhi added.
She denounced the Israeli strategy of “forced starvation” as a clear “crime against humanity,” and said armed Israeli forces have opened fire on civilians attempting to gather food — a fact that even the Israeli Defense Forces have admitted, according to her.
Gandhi condemned the failure of global institutions like the United Nations and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Israel accountable. She said ICJ orders, including one from January 2024 directing Israel to prevent acts of genocide and allow humanitarian aid, have been ignored.
She also criticised U.S. support for Israel, which she said has enabled the ongoing violence.
She likened the scale of the devastation to the 1948 Nakba, where thousands of Palestinians were displaced.
She urged India to reclaim its moral standing and speak out “clearly, boldly and forthrightly” against the atrocities in Gaza.
“India has long been a symbol of global justice. We are the country that inspired global movements against colonialism… and led the international struggle against apartheid South Africa,” she said.
Quoting the Directive Principles of State Policy, she emphasised that the Indian government is constitutionally obligated to “promote international peace and security” and uphold international law.
Gandhi also reminded readers of India’s historical support for Palestine — from Indira Gandhi recognising the PLO in 1974 to India officially recognising the State of Palestine in 1988.
She praised South Africa for taking Israel to the ICJ, France for recognising Palestine, and countries like the UK and Canada for imposing sanctions on Israeli leaders. She noted that even voices within Israel are acknowledging war crimes.
“The Global South is once again looking to India for leadership on an issue that today shakes the collective conscience of all humanity,” she said, urging Modi to end his silence and take a principled stand in line with India’s historical and constitutional values.