Nitish Kmar’s Janata Dal (United), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, on Sunday joined opposition leaders in urging the Centre to stop the supply of arms and ammunition to Israel amid its war on Gaza.
India has not officially confirmed or denied supplying arms to Israel.
General Secretary KC Tyagi and opposition leaders met with Mohammed Makram Balawi, the Secretary General of the League of Parliamentarians for Al Quds, in Delhi, Indian Express reported. The League is an independent body that promotes global parliamentary support for the Palestinian cause, adhering to United Nations resolutions and aiming for peace in West Asia.
The meeting was organised by Tyagi and Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan. Tyagi told The Indian Express that the Janata Dal (United) has long supported the Palestinian cause.
“The Indian government, including that of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, also has lent support to the Palestinian cause,” he was quoted as saying. “We want the killing of elderly, women and children to stop in Gaza and also want UN resolutions regarding Israel and Palestine to be respected,” the JD(U) leader said.
The statement condemning the violence was signed by Tyagi, Khan, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, MLA Pankaj Pushkar, former Lok Sabha MP Kunwar Danish Ali of Congress, Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi, Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal and former MP Mohammed Adeeb of the Rashtrawadi Samaj Party.
“As a nation that has always championed the cause of justice and human rights, India cannot be complicit in this genocide,” the statement said.
They denounced what they described as “Zionist aggression” and the “heinous genocide” of Palestinians by Israel. They said Israel’s military assault on Gaza is not only an affront to humanity, but also a violation of international law, and the principles of justice and peace.
In February, reports suggested that India was supplying drones manufactured in Hyderabad to Israel through a partnership between Israel’s Elbit Systems and Gautam Adani’s Adani Group. In May, Spain had blocked an Israeli-bound ship carrying arms from Chennai, in line with its policy to prohibit arms exports to Israel since the Gaza conflict began. The Danish-flagged vessel, carrying 27 tonne of explosives, was denied entry at Cartagena port.
The Israel’s war on Gaza escalated on October 7 when Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of over 200 hostages. In response, Israel has conducted unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza, which have killed over 41,000, including 16,500 children, per reports.
India has historically supported the “two-state solution” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. New Delhi reiterated on October 12, “India always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel”.
