Congress slams PM Modi for praising Benjamin Netanyahu over truce

The Congress on Friday raised objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership in realising the US President Donald Trump-brokered Gaza truce. The main opposition party said Modi's statement, on the previous day, not only made India come across as a "cheerleader of a genocidal regime" but also "sacrificed" India's principled foreign policy on Palestine.

Maintaining that Israel's Gaza genocide killed 67,000 Palestinians, including around 20,000 children, All India Congress Committee general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said, "Is this the 'strong leadership' that PM Modi is praising? This statement by PM Modi is a clear example of his immoral, weak and destructive stance on Palestine. India was once a bold voice in support of the Palestinian cause. Today, this statement makes India come across as a cheerleader of a genocidal regime."

Party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said, "Prime Minister Modi spent all day yesterday (Thursday) talking to UK PM Keir Starmer and sending message after message of praise and admiration to President Trump. He did not, of course, forget to speak to the man who had unleashed the genocide on Gaza-the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu-also during this time."