DMK leader Elangovan defends party MP A Raja's statement on Israel-Hamas war
Oct 18, 2023
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 18 : Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan on Wednesday defended party MP A Raja in his statement on Israel-Hamas war and said that when a small country is put under pressure, naturally all non-aligned countries should support it.
Following MP Raja's statement urging to support oppressed in Israel-Hamas war, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said, "We had accepted Palestine when it was formed earlier, UN has accepted Palestine and India was one of the countries in the UN to support Palestine that was what he has told."
"Even what he says is right when a small country is put into pressure, naturally all non-aligned countries should support that country maybe that is what he meant," he added.
DMK MP Raja earlier pointed out that India has always supported Palestine and emphasized that supporting the oppressed is the right thing to do.
"India has never supported Israel. We have supported Palestine only. Whichever country is being oppressed, we need to support that country only, that is the right thing to do. That is the policy of non-aligned countries," A Raja said while speaking at an event in Chennai on Tuesday.
While BJP has criticised A Raja's statement and called it "sad and shameful".
"It is very sad, shocking and shameful. I am really astonished by the way A Raja has said. Israel has been our friend for more than 70 years now. No doubt we are friendly with Palestine also," Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy said while speaking to ANI.
As for the latest developments on the conflict, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that 471 people were killed in an explosion and fire at al-Ahli hospital in central Gaza, with another 28 people in critical condition.
Noting that the Hamas terror group is perpetrating a double war crime daily, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "Every day they perpetrate a double war crime, targetting our civilians while hiding behind their civilians, embedding themselves in civilian population and using them as human shields. We have seen the cost of this terrible double war crime against humanity that Hamas has been perpetrating in the last 11 days."
Israeli PM stressed that civilians are unfortunately getting harmed, whereas Israel is legitimately targeting terrorists."Hamas is responsible and should be held accountable for all civilian casualties," he added.
The ministry says 3,478 people have been killed since Israel began bombing the Strip on October 7, in reaction to a Hamas onslaught in which some 1,400 Israelis were massacred.