'Need To Support Negotiations': Congress Holds Massive Rally In Kerala In Solidarity With Palestine

Several political leaders, including Shashi Tharoor and KC Venugopal, and workers of the Congress party took part in the rally.

Shashi Tharoor at the pro-Palestine rally organised by the Congress in Kozhikode district of Kerala.

Source : ANI/X

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, Kerala Congress on Thursday organised a mass rally in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Kozhikode. Thousands of people took part in the rally.

Several political leaders, including Shashi Tharoor and KC Venugopal, and workers of the Congress party gathered at the beach earlier today to express support for the people of Palestine who are grappling with the effects of war, according to news agency PTI.

#WATCH | Kerala Congress organises an event to express solidarity with the people of Palestine amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Kozhikode pic.twitter.com/sarsYyFpb3

— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2023

While attending the event, Venugopal and Shashi Tharoor rejected the political opponents' campaign that the Congress changed its stand on the Palestine issue.

Venugopal Condemns War

Inaugurating the solidarity rally, Rajya Sabha MP K C Venugopal strongly condemned the war unleashed by Israel in Gaza and their attacks against hospitals and refugee camps there.

He said that the Congress Party has only one stand on the Palestine issue, one that was evolved by Mahatma Gandhi, adopted by Jawaharlal Nehru, and strongly followed by Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi.

"Our resolution says that we are with Palestine. We need to support the negotiations to free Palestine. India did not vote on the UN resolution for a truce that could lead to a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war," Venugopal was quoted by ANI as saying.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal says, "Our resolution says that we are with Palestine. We need to support the negotiations to free Palestine. India did not vote on the UN resolution for a truce that could lead to a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war..." pic.twitter.com/pqTvZg7Bx3

— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2023

During his address, Venugopal recalled that all the Congress governments in post-independent India had taken a strong stand against Israel's invasion and supported the fight of the Palestinian people for their right to lead a dignified life in their homeland.

Shashi Tharoor Lashes Out At BJP

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor during his address expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and shared the shocking details of human casualties and the widespread destruction witnessed by Gaza in the ongoing war.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP rejected criticism from political opponents that the Congress party had been silent on the Palestine issue in the wake of assembly elections in some states.

"There is an accusation that Congress is not talking about the Israel-Palestine issue because Assembly elections are being held. I want to clarify that during the election campaign, Sonia Gandhi released an opinion piece on the Israel-Palestine war on October 30 and Priyanka Gandhi also spoke about the issue during the election campaign. Modi government's foreign policy is against the decade-old policy followed by India," he said.

Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor during the party's event to express solidarity with the people of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Kozhikode

"There is an accusation that Congress is not talking about the Israel-Palestine issue because Assembly elections are being held.… pic.twitter.com/aGGVJw8e6e

— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2023

Strongly criticising India's decision to abstain from voting in the UN General Assembly on the resolution demanding an immediate truce in the ongoing war, Tharoor said that no Congress member could tolerate such a stance.

"UN General Assembly passed a resolution on the humanitarian truce in the Israel-Gaza war. Mahatma Gandhi’s country did not vote for it. We abstained from voting," he added.

KPCC Chief K Sudhakaran, various front leaders of the UDF, and religious heads also took part in the massive rally.