New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) The CPI-M on Tuesday denounced India’s decision to abstain against Israel in a UN Human Rights Council vote as a sign of its “pro-US and pro-Israeli shift” ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Tel Aviv.
The decision was a “reversal of longstanding Indian position of support to the Palestinian cause”, the Communist Party of India-Marxist said in a statement.
“This abstention was on the adoption of a UN Enquiry Commission Report on Israel’s attack on innocent Palestinians in the Gaza strip last year,” the CPI-M said.
Pointing out that India voted for similar resolutions against Syrian government violations in its civil war, it said: “Such double standards clearly expose that India’s further pro-US and pro-Israeli shift is in preparation for the announced visit of Modi to Israel. He would be the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.”
The CPI-M added that even after a month after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar signed the renewal of the 10-year Defence Framework Agreement with the US, the text of the agreement had been kept under wraps.
“This raises many suspicions of India succumbing to US pressures on this score.”