Kochi: As the ruling CPI(M), the opposition Congress, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have been conducting pro-Palestine rallies in Kerala, the BJP-led NDA has decided to hold protest marches in four places, accusing them of advocating ‘communal and pro-terrorism’ policies.
A BJP spokesperson stated that the rallies will be held in Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Ernakulam, while a public meeting will be organised in Pathanamthitta in two weeks.
He mentioned that the party is holding the rallies against the ‘communal appeasement policies’ of the Left government. The BJP also accused the Congress-led UDF of moving in the same direction.
“We are against global terrorism, and India is one of the biggest victims. We oppose the communal appeasement politics of the state government,” he said.
The spokesperson said that the dates will be announced shortly, and the event will witness the participation of union ministers and senior BJP leaders.
The IUML and the CPI(M) have held separate pro-Palestine rallies in the state, and the Congress has announced another rally in the last week of November.
BJP leaders in Kerala have alleged that both the Left and the Congress-led UDF are hesitant to condemn the violence carried out by Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the loss of many lives, soon after which the country declared war on the militant group.
Israel’s bombing and ground invasion of Gaza has killed over 11,000 Palestinian civilians living in the restricted enclave, over 4,500 of the deceased being children.
Until a recent shift, India’s foreign policy position was in support of Palestine, ever since the country of Israel was forcefully carved out of Palestine in 1948, backed by the British, and Palestinians were driven out of their homes in several localities where Jews then settled in.
(Published 13 November 2023, 13:52 IST)