India calls for ceasefire in Gaza, says intermittent pauses 'not enough'
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United Nations (PTI): Voicing concern over the persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, India asserted that a ceasefire must be put in place, emphasising that “intermittent pauses in hostilities” are "not enough" to address the scale of challenges facing the region's people.
“Today’s meeting takes place against the backdrop of a persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, addressing an open debate in the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
"Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education,” Harish said at the open debate on the 'Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question'.
Underlining that the way ahead is clear, and highlighting India’s consistent position in this regard, Harish said the ongoing human suffering must not be allowed to continue.
“Humanitarian assistance needs to be facilitated in a safe, sustained and timely manner. There is no substitute to peace. A ceasefire must be put in place. All hostages must be released. Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable paths to achieving these objectives. There are no other fixes or solutions,” he said.
He also expressed hope that an upcoming UN conference on the Israel-Palestine conflict would pave the way for “concrete steps" towards achieving a two-State solution.
Harish told the Council debate, held under Pakistan’s presidency of the Security Council for the month of July, that India shares historic and strong ties with its Palestinian brothers and sisters.
“We have always stood by them and our commitment towards the Palestinian cause is unwavering,” he said, noting that India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the State of Palestine.
Describing the health and education situation in Gaza as “particularly troubling”, Harish said the World Health Organisation estimates that around 95 per cent of all hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reports that more than 650,000 children have had no schooling for over 20 months, he said.
Harish said that India takes note of the High-Level International Conference on the implementation of a two-State solution scheduled for July 28-30.
“While engaging in a forward-leaning and constructive manner, it is our hope that this conference would pave the way for concrete steps towards achieving a two-State solution,” Harish said.
He said India underscores its readiness to contribute to efforts aimed at shaping a political horizon that restores hope for the Palestinians and achieving sustained peace in the Middle East.
The high-level conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, was scheduled to take place from June 17-20 but was postponed due to escalating tensions in the region.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has stressed that it is essential to keep alive the two-State solution perspective “with all the terrible things we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank.
“And for those that doubt about the two-state solution, I ask: What is the alternative? Is it a one-state solution in which either the Palestinians are expelled or the Palestinians will be forced to live in their land without rights? That would be totally unacceptable. I firmly believe that it is the duty of the international community to keep the two-State solution alive and then to materialise the conditions to make it happen,” he had said.
President of the General Assembly Philemon Yang has described the international conference as a crucial opportunity that “we must seize to chart an irreversible path towards the implementation of the two-State solution. It is imperative that this conference succeeds.”
India reiterated that the pathway to enduring peace is rooted in a two-State solution - one that establishes a sovereign, viable and independent State of Palestine within recognised and mutually agreed borders, living side by side with Israel in peace.
India’s endeavour is to make a “tangible impact” on the daily lives of the Palestinians by implementing projects in diverse sectors, and the country is currently implementing projects valued at more than USD 40 million, Harish said.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
