By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Malappuram MP E. Ahamed raised the issue of aggression in Gaza, Palestine during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and urged the Lower House to condemn the attack by Israel.
“Innocent people are being butchered. They are being mercilessly killed. Women and children are being mercilessly killed. What is going on is a flagrant violation of international human rights. Nobody is speaking about this. Unfortunately, all these big powers have been playing hide and seek to avoid this serious human rights issue,” he said, adding, “ India has a responsibility. India has always been standing behind the Palestinian people. India has traditionally been supporting the Palestinian people. Right from the time of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, we have been supporting the Palestinian people. This human rights violation should be stopped.”
E. Ahamed
Calling the silence of the international community as shocking, the former MoS in the Ministry of External Affairs, urged the House to condemn the attack on the Gaza Strip. “India should condemn the alleged atrocities and the war crime being committed by the Israeli forces in Gaza. It is the holy month of Ramadan. In spite of that Israelis are waging unjust and despicable war against innocent people of Palestine,” he said.
He reminded that the Gaza Strip is the most populated area in the Earth located in 360 sq. KMs radius with 1.8 million people. Even women and children are not being spared.
So far 180 people have been killed, including 37 children, 24 women and 12 elderly people in the attack. Around 1260 people were injured since Israel started the current aggression on Gaza.
“I would just like to request this House to condemn this also as well as to prevail upon the Government of India to take up the matter with the international body, the United Nations,” he reiterated.
E Ahmed further noted, “This country is always condemning violence, war and every such thing. This country is always supporting the Palestinian people. This country cannot just sleep over such an international issue. Therefore, I take this opportunity to say that the Government of India may take up this matter with the United Nations and do the needful, in accordance with what we have been following so far in this country. This is the country of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. This is the country of Mahatma Gandhi. This is the country of supporting all these things and this country is supporting the international matter of the Palestine people.”
The Lok Sabha Tuesday witnessed an uproar as members of at least three parties, including the Congress, demanded a resolution to condemn the Israeli raids in Gaza and walked out in protest after their demand was rejected.
Members belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress and People’s Democratic Party staged the walkout after the government said it has no intention of bringing a resolution to condemn the Israeli raids.
Reacting to the demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said: “I have noted the views expressed by the members.”
“Domestic politics should not affect our foreign policy,” he said, adding the matter is “highly sensitive” and “any move by the government should not have any implications”.
Unhappy over the government’s response, members of the Congress staged a walkout followed by the Trinamool Congress and the PDP members.
Since July 8, Israel has been engaged in a large-scale aerial operation in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli war jets have carried out hundreds of intensive strikes on targets that belong to Hamas and other militant groups in the coastal enclave.
The Gaza-based health ministry said the operation has killed at least 187 people, wounded 1,390 and destroyed more than 250 houses.
There have been protests against the Israeli attack in various Indian cities, including in Srinagar, Tuesday.
(With Inputs from IANS)