New Delhi, July 17 (IANS): The CPI-M Thursday accused the government of taking a pro-Israeli stand by refusing to discuss the Israeli air raids on Gaza in parliament.
Instead of condemning the Israeli attacks that have left 220 Palestinians dead, "the government has adopted a dubious stand which condones the unjustified Israeli aggression", the CPI-M said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist said the external affairs ministry first equated both sides as responsible for the violence. It also refused to condemn the "Israeli violence in Gaza".
Later, the government refused to discuss the Gaza situation in the Rajya Sabha, claiming India has diplomatic ties with both nations and any discourteous reference to a friendly country would affect relations.
"This is a specious and misleading stand. The BJP government should know that Palestine is an occupied territory and not an independent nation," the Communist Party of India-Marxist said.
"The effort to gloss over Israel's aggression and occupation of Palestine is condemnable.
"The Modi Government is going back on the long-standing position of India
regarding Palestine and is adopting a pro-Israeli stance which is
unacceptable."
The CPI-M demanded that the government take a categorical stand "opposing the continuing Israeli aggression which has killed innocent civilians".