New Delhi, June 14 — The Congress on Saturday strongly criticised the Modi government for abstaining from a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, alleging that India’s foreign policy under the current dispensation is adrift and increasingly out of step with its historic principles.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge questioned whether India has “abandoned its principled stand against war, genocide, and for justice” by choosing not to support the resolution that received overwhelming backing in the General Assembly.
“It is now increasingly evident that our Foreign Policy is in shambles. Perhaps, PM Modi must now take a call on his EAM’s repeated blunders and set some accountability,” Mr. Kharge said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
India Among 19 Abstentions
The 193-member UNGA on Friday adopted a resolution introduced by Spain, calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s ongoing military campaign has drawn mounting international concern over civilian casualties and humanitarian collapse.
The resolution was passed with 149 votes in favour, 12 against, and 19 abstentions, including India. Other abstaining nations included Ukraine, Germany, and the UK.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said the vote came “against the backdrop of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza” but explained that New Delhi had reservations about elements of the resolution that did not condemn the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
Congress Seeks Government Clarification
Reacting to the abstention, the Congress accused the government of failing to uphold India’s longstanding support for international law and human rights.
“We virtually stand isolated by this step,” Mr. Kharge said, noting that India’s abstention puts it at odds with a vast majority of the global community.
Congress leaders also demanded that the Ministry of External Affairs clarify whether India’s traditional support for civilian protection and peaceful resolution of conflicts had been compromised for geopolitical expediency.
The resolution, which reaffirmed the need for humanitarian aid access and legal obligations under international law, comes amid a sharp escalation in Israeli airstrikes and a rising death toll in Gaza, including thousands of women and children, according to UN reports.
India had previously supported resolutions at the UN that called for a humanitarian pause and upheld the two-state solution, but opposition leaders allege that the government has increasingly shifted towards a pro-Israel stance under the Modi administration.
