"BJP habituated to politicising everything": Congress' Kumari Shailja on Centre's stand on Israel-Hamas conflict

Oct 11, 2023

New Delhi [India], October 11 : Congress leader Kumari Shailja on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after it threw brickbats over the Congress's stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Shailja said that the BJP is habituated to "politicizing' everything.
"Whatever our party had to say, it has said it. The Congress has always touted its stand in international affairs in a balanced manner," Shailja said while speaking to ANI in the national capital.
It is worth mentioning that a day after condemning the "brutal attack" on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Congress on Monday extended support for Palestinians.
A resolution passed during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting today, the party called for a ceasefire.
The resolution passed by Congress supported the rights of the Palestinian people.
"The CWC expresses its dismay and anguish on the war that has broken out in the Middle East where over a thousand people have been killed in the last two days. The CWC reiterates its long-standing support for the rights of the Palestinian people to land, self-government and to live with dignity and respect," the resolution passed by the Congress said.
It further said that the CWC calls for an "immediate cease-fire and for negotiations" to begin on all outstanding issues including the imperative issues that have given rise to the present conflict.
The stand of the Congress received sharp criticism from the BJP with the latter claiming, "Sacrificing the nation's interest to politics of appeasement is in Congress' DNA".
Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma took to 'X' and attacked the Congress.
"Congress' resolution has striking similarities with statements of Pakistan and Taliban.
"All three, 1. Do not condemn Hamas 2. Do not deplore terror attacks on Israel 3. Silent on hostages - women and children Sacrificing the nation's interest to politics of appeasement is in Cong's DNA", Sarma wrote in an 'X' post.
Meanwhile, Congress Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor said that though the Hamas attacks on Israel should be condemned, one needs to be aware that there is a "larger issue" at stake here and one needs to take note of the "dehumanising occupation" continuing at various places in Palestine.
"While we understood the Prime Minister's standing up for Israel and showing solidarity at this time of great grief and this horror..., at the same time we felt that his statement was incomplete," Tharoor said while speaking to ANI on Wednesday.
"We felt that at the same time, we needed to remember that there was a larger issue at stake here and the reason behind all of this which is that there is a dehumanising occupation continuing at many places," he added.
Condemning the Hamas strike in Israel that has killed over 1200 in Israel, Tharoor said, "The entire situation has been provoked by the surprise attack by Hamas during a national holiday in Israel. It was done in the cruellest possible way."
Over 1200 Israelis have died and 2700 have been wounded in the conflict that broke out in Israel on Saturday.