Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday attacked the Narendra Modi government by accusing it of reducing India to a strategic ally of the USA, which only raises its voice for American interests.
The CM, addressing a Palestine Solidarity Rally here, claimed that India has the most number of trade agreements and defence deals with Israel, and is thereby providing it the financial impetus to carry out the brutal and cruel attacks on the Palestinian people.
“That money, it is our money, given by the people of this country and that is being used as a source of funds by Israel to attack the people of Palestine,” Vijayan said.
He also said that the “Zionists in Israel” were now following the same principles as that of Hitler’s Nazis and therefore, for the RSS and the Sangh Parivar they (Zionists) were the “closest friends”.
“They all share the same views,” he alleged.
Jews were given land in Palestine to settle down after the holocaust in which Nazis committed a genocide by wiping out about six million European Jews. Recalling the history of how Israel was created, he said, “Rather than leading to the rehabilitation of the Jews, we witnessed the displacement of the Palestinian people by Israel with the support of America and other western powers.”
The CM said that since then all anti-Palestine measures of Israel have received the full support of America and other Western powers who supply it with funds as well as weapons.
Vijayan did not spare the Congress either, as he blamed the grand old party for the present change in the stance of India towards Israel and Palestine.
The CM said that pre and post-Independence, India had always supported Palestine and its demand for being recognised as a nation. “We had not recognised Israel as a nation, and even travel to that place was not allowed,” he pointed out. This position changed during the tenure of P V Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister and it was a “submission to the pressure of world powers”.
“Slowly, our government began adopting a stance in favour of the world powers, and now the BJP is energetically and with determination taking that stand forward,” Vijayan charged.
He said that when rallies are held world over in support of Palestinian people, the CPI(M) too held similar programmes in New Delhi, but no other national political party did.
“How can you (Congress) stand with both Israel and Palestine at the same time? Is it the time for being non-partisan? Should you not have a clear stand? Should you not reject the cruelty shown by Israel to the Palestinian people?
“Why do the followers of Jawaharlal Nehru not have a clear stand now? He had taken a stand in support of Palestine,” Vijayan recalled.
He further said that the Left party has only one stand and that is — the people of Palestine should be able to live in a nation of their own.
The CM said everyone should take this stand and also tell the central government not to support Israel’s actions.
Last week too, Vijayan had alleged that the Indian government was working according to the interests of the United States of America (USA) and that is why the Centre was supporting Israel and ignoring the plight of the Palestinian people.
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