New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday took a potshot at Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her symbolic support for Palestine and sought to shed light on how Israel ranked higher in priority for his government and the Centre and also how this "association" was yielding better gains for youths of the state.

"A Congress leader goes to show off her bag with 'Palestine' emblazoned on it while the government has already sent more than 5,500 youths from Uttar Pradesh to Israel who are engaged in infrastructure projects there and earning handsome wages in return," Chief Minister said, addressing the House on the second day of UP Assembly’s winter session.

He said that youths from the state are living happily and in a secure environment they are also earning more than 1.5 lakh per month.

"Whatever they send back contributes to the state's economy and interestingly, there has been increasing demand from Israel as the UP youths have made their mark with hard work," he added.

CM Yogi's taunt on Priyanka comes in the wake of criticism that the Congress MP invited after she carried a bag flaunting Palestine tag. Many BJP leaders rebuked the Congress lawmaker over her Monday's gesture and called it "crass communal posturing".

As Priyanka's gesture for extending support to Palestine with her handbag stoked a major row, she also hit back at critics.

"Who is going to decide what clothes I wear now? Who is going to decide that? That's typical patriarchy that you decide what women wear also. I don't subscribe to that. I will wear what I want," she told the newspersons.

Notably, the bag that Wayanad MP carried to Parliament on Monday had 'Palestine' emblazoned on it. It also featured a watermelon, symbol signifying support to the war-torn nation.

Notably, the Congress General Secretary has been vociferous over Israel's military offensive against Palestine, which followed after dastardly terror attacks by Hamas in October last year.