By Santosh | India abstained from voting on a resolution in the UN General Assembly, which demanded an immediate truce in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Politicians from the Opposition and the governing side in India, clashed over the decision.
The draft resolution was submitted by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 nations - including - Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Russia and South Africa.
India was among 45 nations - that abstained from voting. The others included - Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the UK.
India said the resolution should also condemn the attack by Hamas on Israel, to send a clear message against terrorism.
About 120 nations voted in favour of the resolution and 14 voted against it.
The US expressed outrage at the resolution because it did not mention - Hamas - which it described as - the omission of evil.
Back in India - the political opposition used the opportunity to attack the Indian government.
Priyanka Gandhi of the main opposition Congress Party said - silently watching the annihilation of Palestinian men, women and children goes against everything India stood for.
She quoted India's independence leader Mahatma Gandhi - and said - an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind - a reference to Israel's disproportionate retaliation to the strike by Hamas.
The head of the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharad Pawar - accused the Indian government of changing its policy on the conflict. He stressed that India never backed Israel in the past.
Comments