Pinarayi criticises Centre’s stance on Gaza conflict

Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the BJP-led NDA and the previous Congress-led UPA governments at the Centre of ignoring the public outcry against the attack by Israel on the people of Palestine.

CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurating a protest against the Israeli atrocities on Palestinian people, organised by the party district committee at Tagore hall in Kozhikode on Thursday. — Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Communist Party of India ( Marxist) [CPI-(M)] State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the BJP-led NDA and the previous Congress-led UPA governments at the Centre of ignoring the public outcry against the attack by Israel on the people of Palestine.

He was speaking at the protest gathering organised by CPI (M) district committee against the ongoing onslaught of Israel in Gaza.

Mr. Vijayan said that India had stood with the people of Palestine since Independence. As a result, Indians had then been barred entry into Israel. But this stance changed when the Narasimha Rao government started diplomatic relations with Israel in 1990.

Reinforce relations

He said that the Atal Biharai Vajpayee Ministry reinforced this India- Israel relations. This was reflected when two BJP Ministers L. K. Advani and Jaswant Singh also visited Israel.

The UPA-I and UPA-II governments also extended similar support to Israel government by entering into multi-crore arms dealings with them. By purchasing arms, both the NDA and the UPA governments had helped Israel to accumulate wealth to attack Palestine, Mr. Vijayan added.

He also accused the previous NDA government of attempting to forge an India-Israel-United States axis. At that time, BJP leader Rajnath Singh had sought the help of Israeli commandos to counter Muslims.

A red carpet was laid to then Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who was known for his racist stand.

It was not surprising that the BJP government now had to take a pro-Israel position, he said.

Mr. Vijayan also criticised the United Nations for being ineffective in tackling the Israel- Palestine conflict. The UN had turned into an organisation safeguarding the interests of the imperialist forces.

The UN had also once justified Israel’s attack on Gaza, he added.

CPI (M) district secretary T.P. Ramakrishnan, State secretariat member V.V. Dakshinamoorthy; A. Pradeep Kumar, K.K Lathika and Purushan Kadalundi, MLAs; Kozhikode Mayor A.K. Premajam, district panchayat president Kanathil Jameela and Muslim Educational Society president Fazal Gafoor were present.