Sonia Gandhi Questions Modi's Foreign Policy, Calls PM’s Silence on Gaza 'Pinnacle of Moral Cowardice'

In an article written for a Hindi daily, she stated that it is time for the Prime Minister to raise a strong voice in clear and bold terms, representing the legacy India has upheld.

She wrote, “No one can justify the barbaric attacks by Hamas on innocent men, women, and children in Israel in October 2023, or the continued hostage-taking of Israeli citizens.”

She added, “These must be repeatedly and unconditionally condemned, but as a member of the international community and, above all, as human beings, it is our responsibility to acknowledge that the Israeli government’s response and retaliation against the people of Gaza have not only been aggressive but are entirely criminal.”

Sonia Gandhi highlighted that over the past nearly two years, more than 55,000 Palestinian civilians, including 17,000 children, have been killed.

She noted, “France has decided to recognize the Palestinian state, and countries like the UK and Canada have imposed sanctions on Israeli leaders fueling aggression in Gaza... Amid the growing global consciousness about this humanitarian crisis, it is a matter of national shame that India remains a mute spectator to this insult to humanity.”

The former Congress president emphasized that India has long been a symbol of global justice, inspiring movements against colonialism, raising its voice against imperialist dominance during the Cold War, and leading the international struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

She pointed out that the Directive Principles of State Policy expect the government to take effective steps to “promote international peace and security, maintain just relations between nations, and respect international law and treaty obligations,” but the current government’s “moral cowardice” in the face of Israeli actions amounts to a neglect of constitutional duties.

She further noted, “India has always supported a two-state solution and a just peace between Israel and Palestine. Under Indira Gandhi’s leadership in 1974, India became the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In 1988, India was among the first countries to officially recognize Palestine.”

Sonia Gandhi remarked, “Amid Israel’s ongoing atrocities against the people of Gaza, Prime Minister Modi’s shameful silence is deeply disappointing. It is the pinnacle of moral cowardice.”

 She urged Modi to raise a strong voice in clear and bold terms, representing India’s legacy. She added, “On this issue that shakes the collective conscience of humanity, the ‘Global South’ is once again awaiting India’s leadership.” The term ‘Global South’ is commonly used to refer to economically less developed countries.