New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra state President Abu Asim Azmi on Sunday strongly criticised India’s recent abstention from a United Nations General Assembly resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Azmi called the move a betrayal of India’s long-standing foreign policy and moral responsibility, pointing to a historical consensus among Indian leaders in support of the Palestinian cause.

“Our leader (and former Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said that Palestine must be free and Israel must vacate Palestinian land immediately. Former Prime Ministers like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and others also stood firmly with Palestine and spoke against Israeli aggression. What is happening to the people of Palestine is nothing short of atrocities, and it must be condemned,” Azmi said in a statement.

He further criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s abstention during the vote. “If 149 countries could come together on this resolution, then why did our Prime Minister choose not to participate? This is a big mistake. I believe the people of India will not forgive such deliberate actions. This goes against our nation’s historic foreign policy,” Azmi added.

India’s abstention on June 12 marks the fourth time in three years that it has chosen not to vote on UN resolutions critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and other occupied territories. The recent resolution, passed overwhelmingly by the General Assembly, demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where over 55,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, have been killed amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes.

The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued a formal explanation for India’s abstention. However, foreign policy analysts suggest the decision reflects a strategic recalibration as India deepens its military and economic ties with Israel, even at the cost of distancing itself from its traditional pro-Palestine stance.

In December 2024, India voted in favour of a similar ceasefire resolution, making the June 2025 abstention a significant policy shift. The move comes amid growing global outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and widespread calls for accountability.

–IANS

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