Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday strongly reacted to the BJP's criticism over her carrying a bag with "Palestine" inscribed on it during Parliament's Winter session, dismissing the remarks as "useless things" and accusing them of patriarchal attitudes.
The controversy arose when Priyanka Gandhi was spotted with a bag featuring "Palestine" and emblems, including a watermelon, often seen as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity. Addressing the issue, she said, “The atrocities happening in Bangladesh, against minorities and Hindus...something should be done regarding this. Talks should be held with the Bangladesh government regarding this...and they should not say such useless things.”
In a video recorded on the Parliament premises, Priyanka Gandhi further stated, "Who’s going to decide what clothes I wear now? Who’s going to decide that? That is typical patriarchy that you decide what clothes women wear. I don’t subscribe to that. I will wear what I want."
On Palestine Bag, BJP Accuses Priyanka Gandhi Of 'Crass Communal Posturing'
The BJP, however, viewed the incident differently. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya accused her of indulging in "communal virtue signalling" under the pretext of combating patriarchy. "At the end of this Parliament session, observe a two-minute silence for everyone in the Congress who believed Priyanka Vadra was the solution. Sporting a bag in support of Palestine in Parliament is crass communal posturing. Make no mistake, Congress is the New Muslim League," Malviya posted on X.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also alleged that the Congress engages in appeasement tactics. "Congress does appeasement. They don't do anything good to the Muslim community. They use different agendas to get votes by entangling them...Now, the people of the country know this trick," he remarked, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel claimed that carrying the Palestine-inscribed bag was a deliberate move. "This is not just a coincidence, rather, it is being tried to give a message. If only she carried an Indian bag...By carrying a bag written Palestine on it, she is trying to appease, satisfy and polarise the Muslim votes," Baghel told ANI.
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Priyanka Gandhi’s Meeting With Palestine Embassy Charge d’Affaires And India's Support For 2-State Solution
This comes after the Palestine Embassy Charge d’Affaires, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, visited Priyanka Gandhi’s residence on December 11 to congratulate her on her Wayanad bypoll victory. According to Jazer, Priyanka Gandhi assured him of her support for Palestine's freedom. "Mrs. Priyanka affirmed her support for the Palestinian people's struggle to achieve their aspirations of freedom and independence," Jazer said. He also recounted Priyanka Gandhi sharing memories of meeting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during his visit to India in the era of her grandmother, Indira Gandhi, or father, Rajiv Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, which escalated after Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, remains a significant international issue. India has condemned the attacks and expressed condolences for the loss of civilian lives.
In its statement, the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated India's support for a negotiated two-state solution, calling for dialogue, diplomacy, and de-escalation.
The Ministry emphasised India's long-standing policy, advocating for a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestine coexisting peacefully with Israel. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently reiterated this position during a meeting with the Palestinian Foreign Minister in January 2024 in Kampala.
"India has strongly condemned the terror attacks on Israel on 07 October 2023 and the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. We have called for restraint and de-escalation and emphasized peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. We have also called for the release of the remaining hostages. The Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister have spoken to several leaders, including the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel and the President and Foreign Minister of Palestine. External Affairs Minister met the Foreign Minister of Palestine on 20 January 2024 in Kampala and reiterated India's support for a two-state solution. We also reiterated our position in multilateral fora such as the UN, G20, BRICS and Voice of Global South Summit," an MEA statement informed.