Amid the ongoing political row in India on supporting Israel, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on 19 October has spike another controversy while criticising Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma comparing his party Bhartiya Janata Party with Hamas. In his statement he said that Assam CM should read and understand history first further highlighting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's position on Palestine-Israel conflict.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Raut said, “The party he (Assam CM) belongs to is no less than Hamas. He should first read & understand history. He is a part of BJP and should know former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's stand on Palestine-Israel...”
His statement's on Assam CM came after Sarma reacted to Sharad Pawar's comment and said it seems like the NCP chief will send Supriya Sule to Gaza to fight for Hamas. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar found himself in the middle of a controversy after his remarks criticizing the Modi government for standing with Israel. The NCP chief mentioned that all former Prime Ministers of India “stood firmly with Palestine."
The NCP chief while addressing party workers said that India always supported the cause of Palestine.
That place, land, and houses, everything was of Palestine and later Israel took over it. Israel is an outsider and the land is originally of Palestine. After encroachment, Israel was formed," Sharad Pawar said as quoted by India Today.
"Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee all had the same thoughts about the Israel-Palestine issue. It was always the stand of the Indian government. India never stood with anyone else. India always stood with people who originally owned the land and houses there (Palestine)," he said.
"It is very unfortunate that for the first time, our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) stood with Israel, leaving the real issue over there. He neglected the real issue. We should be clear about our stand. The stand of the NCP should be clear. We stand by the people who originally belonged to that land," Pawar added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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