Politics
Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala
Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan spoke at a Palestine solidarity rally in Kozhikode. He said the people of India have been expressing pro-Palestine sentiments while the Centre is supporting the assailants.
According to Vijayan, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have a political inclination to align with Israel, it should not be representative of the country's stance.
The Centre's adoption of a partial stand is seen as a preference for Zionists, as per Vijayan.
He criticised the Government of India for not aligning with the global position at the UN, which calls for an end to the tragic violence against the people of Palestine.
Vijayan further said that the BJP government's decision to abstain from voting on the resolution demanding a ceasefire has brought shame to the country on an international stage.
Alongside leftist leaders, representatives of various Muslim organisations, including pro-IUML SAMASTHA, spoke at the event.
Vijayan commented on the Congress party's position regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, noting that certain parties claiming influence nationwide were absent and lacked unity in their stance.
According to the Chief Minister, India had previously only acknowledged Palestine. However, the stance weakened and India started recognising Israel during the time of Narasimha Rao, possibly due to US pressure. The BJP has since solidified this recognition, he claimed.
Meanwhile, India has joined other nations in backing a UN resolution that denounces Israeli settlements in Palestine.