Piyush Goyal's 'rotten mindset' retort to Sharad Pawar's Palestine remark against PM Narendra Modi
Sharad Pawar, who has been battling an intra-party rebellion spearheaded by his nephew, said on Sunday that India always supported the cause of Palestine.
Union minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday mounted a counteroffensive on NCP chief Sharad Pawar over the latter's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict, describing the former Maharashtra chief minister's remark as “disturbing” and “preposterous”. He said it was a pity that India's former defence minister had such a "casual view on issues relating to terror".
"It is very disturbing when a senior leader like Sharad Pawar ji makes preposterous statements on India’s stand on a terror attack in Israel. The menace of terrorism has to be condemned in all forms, in any part of the world. It is a pity that a person who has been India’s Defence Minister as well as a Chief Minister many times has such a casual view on issues relating to terror," he wrote in a post on Facebook.
Pawar, who has been battling an intra-party rebellion spearheaded by his nephew Ajit Pawar, said on Sunday India always supported the cause of Palestine.
Pawar, addressing party workers, had claimed Israel was an outsider that "encroached" on Palestine's land. He said former prime ministers -- like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee – had supported the Palestine cause.
"It is very unfortunate that for the first time, our Prime Minister stood with Israel," he had said.
Goyal today attacked the former UPA government, accusing it of shedding tears on the Batla House encounter.
"Pawar ji was a part of the same government that shed tears on the Batla House encounter and slept while there were terror attacks on Indian soil. This rotten mindset has to stop. I hope Pawar ji at least now, thinks of the nation first," Goyal added.
Reacting to attack by Hamas on Israel in which over 1400 people died on October 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he was "deeply shocked" by the news.
"Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," he wrote on X on October 8.
Two days later, he reiterated his stance on a phone call with Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu. He expressed his strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism.
NCP leader Jayant Patil said Goyal should read the Ministry of External Affairs' statement on Palestine first.
"As far as I know, External Affairs Ministry has made a statement on Palestine too. He should read that first. I think then he will understand what decision is his government making."
Last week, MEA said India always advocated negotiations towards establishing a state of Palestine.
