Priyanka Gandhi carries 'Palestine' bag in Parliament; BJP reacts
What's the story
In a bold statement in Parliament on Monday, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra carried a bag with "Palestine" written on it. The bag also had symbols of Palestinian solidarity, including a watermelon, a well-known motif of resistance. The colors of a sliced watermelon—with red pulp, green-white rind, and black seeds—are the same as those on the Palestinian flag. A photo of her carrying around the bag was posted on social media by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed.
Political backlash
BJP leader criticizes Gandhi's 'Palestine' bag gesture
Reacting to the image, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra said, "The Gandhi family has always been carrying the bag of appeasement. The appeasement bag is the reason behind their rout in elections." Gandhi's show of support for Palestine comes after she met Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge d'affaires of the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi, recently.
Twitter Post
A gesture of compassion, commitment to justice, wrote Mohamed
Smt. @priyankagandhi Ji shows her solidarity with Palestine by carrying a special bag symbolizing her support.
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) December 16, 2024
A gesture of compassion, commitment to justice and humanity! She is clear that nobody can violate the Geneva convention pic.twitter.com/2i1XtQRd2T
Diplomatic dialogue
Gandhi's meeting with Palestinian diplomat
During the meeting, Jazer congratulated Gandhi on her election victory from Kerala's Wayanad constituency and called on India to take the lead in pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza. Gandhi has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, describing them "barbaric" and accusing the country of committing "genocidal actions." In July, she posted on X, calling the situation in Gaza a "horrific genocide." She urged global action to hold Israel accountable for what she termed as war crimes.