The Congress party has strongly criticised the Narendra Modi-led government’s abstention from a recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote on a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling it a diplomatic failure that has left India isolated among its multilateral partners, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, senior Congress leader and Working Committee member Anand Sharma, who also heads the party’s foreign affairs department, said the escalating conflict in West Asia required immediate global action and that India must work with its international partners to halt the violence.

“India should work with partners to bring an immediate halt to hostilities as any escalation can destabilise the entire region,” Sharma told The Hindu.

Congress Decries India’s UN Abstention

Anand Sharma expressed deep disappointment over India’s abstention from the UN vote that called for the protection of civilians and urged compliance with international humanitarian law in Gaza.

“It is a humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in Gaza, where people are facing collective retribution for their identity. It is indefensible that the land of Mahatma Gandhi doesn’t stand for peace,” he said.

The vote at the UNGA, which aimed at facilitating a ceasefire in Gaza amid escalating violence between Israel and Hamas, as well as growing tensions with Iran, saw most South Asian nations, BRICS members, and SCO countries voting in favour. India’s abstention drew sharp criticism from the opposition.

K.C. Venugopal: India Stands Alone

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP from Alappuzha, Kerala, said that India has become diplomatically isolated among key groupings like BRICS and SCO, and accused the BJP-led government of abandoning India’s traditional role as a peace advocate.

“India has always stood for peace, justice, and human dignity. But today, India stands alone as the only country in South Asia, BRICS, and SCO to abstain on a UNGA resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza,” he wrote in a post on X on Saturday, June 14.

Priyanka Gandhi: Silence is Betrayal

Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the Modi government in a strongly worded statement on X, calling India’s abstention “shameful and disappointing”.

“60,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed already, an entire population is being confined and starved to death, and we are refusing to take a stand,” she said.

“This is a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy. Not only are we standing silent as Mr. Netanyahu annihilates an entire nation, we are cheering on as his government attacks Iran and assassinates its leadership — in flagrant violation of sovereignty and all international norms,” she added.

Her comments follow the escalation between Israel and Iran, with Israel recently ending a ceasefire and launching attacks, leading to an alarming deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Congress Counters Kerala Politics Charge

Responding to criticisms that Kerala politics might have influenced the public posturing of some Congress MPs on the Israel-Palestine issue, Pawan Khera, head of the party’s media and publicity department, dismissed such claims.

“Congress’s position on Israel-Gaza and Iran-Israel stems from our own legacy of anti-colonial solidarity, non-alignment, and a firm commitment to human rights and international law,” he asserted.

India Must Act as a Moral Bridge: Congress

Khera argued that India’s unique geopolitical standing, having ties with both Israel and Iran, places it in a strategic position to mediate peace.

“Instead of seeing this moment as a strategic conundrum, India could see it as an opportunity — to act as a moral bridge between the warring sides, both of which happen to be our allies. That is what our legacy allows us to do, and what global leadership demands,” he said.

Background: India’s Position on Gaza

India’s decision to abstain from the UNGA vote marks a significant shift from its earlier voting patterns, where it had shown cautious support for humanitarian concerns without directly antagonising Israel. However, with increasing civilian casualties and widening criticism over Israeli military actions in Gaza, pressure is mounting on the Indian government to clarify and possibly recalibrate its position.

The UN resolution, which called for a humanitarian truce and adherence to international law, received overwhelming support from most nations, including those typically aligned with India in regional and global groupings.

India, however, refrained from supporting the resolution, citing the need for a balanced approach — a stance that the Congress now says betrays the very Gandhian values of peace and non-violence India was built upon.

India’s Strategic Calculus Under Scrutiny

Critics argue that India’s silence, especially amid growing global concern over Israel’s actions in Gaza and Iran, is part of a broader strategy to maintain favourable ties with Israel and the United States, even at the cost of alienating traditional allies and regional credibility.

Others within India’s foreign policy establishment say the country is pursuing issue-based alignment, rather than the older model of non-alignment, allowing for greater strategic flexibility. However, the Congress party’s repeated calls for principled diplomacy and moral clarity have placed this approach under intense political and ethical scrutiny.

Looking Forward

The Congress has urged the Indian government to immediately initiate efforts in partnership with global allies to bring about a ceasefire in both the Israel-Palestine and Israel-Iran conflicts.

The party maintains that India’s historic commitment to peace, non-violence, and anti-colonial resistance must not be abandoned in the face of geopolitical calculations. Instead, they argue, India must reclaim its mantle as a moral leader on the global stage, a nation that speaks for human rights, justice, and peace — regardless of political convenience.

As tensions continue to rise in West Asia and humanitarian crises deepen, the Congress party’s criticism has opened up a larger debate about the direction of India’s foreign policy and whether its moral compass still aligns with its historical principles

The Upcoming IPOs in this week and coming weeks are Shri Hare-Krishna Sponge Iron, Icon Facilitators, Ace Alpha Tech, Aakaar Medical Technologies, Safe Enterprises Retail Fixtures, Globe Civil Projects, Sambhav Steel Tubes, Ellenbarrie Indutrial Gases, Kalpataru, HDB Financials, AJC Jewel, Mayasheel Ventures.

The Current active IPO are  ArisInfra Solutions, Influx Healthtech, Eppeltone Engineers, Patil Automation, Samay Projects Services.

Start your Stock Market Journey and Apply in IPO by Opening Free Demat Account in Choice Broking FinX.

Join our Trading with CA Abhay Telegram Channel for regular Stock Market Trading and Investment Calls by CA Abhay Varn - SEBI Registered Research Analyst.