PM's silence on atrocities in Gaza 'total betrayal' of what India has stood for: Cong
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is maintaining a complete silence on the "horrific atrocities" in Gaza and this is "moral cowardice" and "total betrayal" of all that India has stood for.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote, "To appease his good friend President Trump and in solidarity with his other good friend Bibi Netanyahu, Prime Minister Modi has welcomed President Trump's new 20-point plan for Gaza."
But fundamental and disturbing questions on the plan remain, he said.
"Where are the people of Gaza themselves in the system of governance proposed? Where is the roadmap for a full-fledged Palestinian state to come into being," the Congress leader asked.
He also asked how much longer will the US and Israel continue to ignore Palestinian statehood - which has already been recognised by 157 member-countries of the UN with India having led the way in November 1988.
"Where is the accountability for the genocide that has been carried out in Gaza over the past twenty months?" he wrote.
"The PM has maintained a complete silence on the horrific atrocities that have led to the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza. This is extreme moral cowardice and a total betrayal of all that India has stood for," Ramesh said.
Congress leader Pawan Khera also said any attempt to undermine the genocide that people of Palestine have endured deserves contempt and condemnation.
"Any plan that undermines the agency of the long-oppressed Palestinian people and fails to ensure accountability for the genocide they have endured since 2023 is deserving of contempt and condemnation.True justice can be restored only through the establishment of the Palestinian state. Everything else is a mere smokescreen to perpetuate the occupation," Khera said in a post on X.
The Congress has been questioning the silence of the Modi government on "atrocities" in Gaza.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) last week also expressed "profound distress" over the ongoing "genocide" of innocent civilians in Gaza, and said India has always been a beacon of moral conscience but "has now shamefully been reduced to a silent spectator".
"India has always been a beacon of moral conscience and the champion of the post-colonial world, it has now shamefully been reduced to a silent spectator. Our foreign policy has now acquired a moral taint," the CWC resolution said.
Modi on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza conflict, saying that it provides a viable path to long-term peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as well as the larger West Asian region.
In an X post after Trump announced the plan in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi expressed hope that "all concerned will come together behind President Trump's initiative and support this effort to end conflict and secure peace."
Trump and Netanyahu said on Monday that they have agreed on a plan to end the war in Gaza.
Trump had laid out the 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and establish a temporary governing board in the war-battered Palestinian territory, which would be headed by Trump and include former British prime minister Tony Blair.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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