The Indian National Congress strongly criticised the Union Government on Saturday for abstaining from voting on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
In a sharply worded post on social media platform X, the Congress termed India’s abstention on June 12 as “extremely shameful,” accusing the Modi government of abandoning India’s long-standing principles of peace and justice.
“India has always stood for peace, justice, and human dignity. More than 60,000 lives have been lost in Palestine, most of them women and children. Thousands are starving and international aid has been halted. This is a humanitarian tragedy. India had historically chosen to stand with Palestine as a matter of principle—not strategy. That glorious legacy today lies reduced to rubble,” the party’s statement read.
Congress further alleged that India had “bowed down to Tel Aviv” and forfeited its moral leadership on the global stage.
“These were the same principles that once made us a beacon of leadership and values in the international community. Global leadership is not built on silence. If India wants to be heard in the world, it must speak out against injustice with courage,” the statement added.
The party urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to realise that moral authority is earned through conscience-driven action, not volume or posturing. “The world does not listen to the country that shouts the loudest, but to the one that speaks with courage and conscience,” it said.
Echoing the sentiment, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also condemned the government’s decision. In a separate post, he noted, “India now stands isolated as the only country in South Asia, BRICS, and the SCO to abstain on a resolution demanding a ceasefire, amid a growing humanitarian catastrophe.”
On Friday, the UNGA adopted the resolution calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza. Of the 193 member states, 149 voted in favour, 12 opposed, and 19—including India—abstained.
The resolution comes amid escalating violence and humanitarian collapse in Gaza, where thousands of civilians, including women and children, have reportedly died in the ongoing conflict.
