Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala BJP chief K Surendran on Saturday (October 28) alleged that Hamas leader Khaled Mashal took part virtually in a protest organised by an Islamist group in the state against Israel’s war against the terrorist outfit. In a Facebook post, Surendran claimed that Mashal participated in the event organised by the Solidarity Youth Movement, the youth wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, on Friday. The BJP leader shared a poster displaying Mashal's participation in the event organised by the district wing of the Movement in Malappuram, and alleged that the situation had reached this extent in traditionally secular Kerala.
"Terrorist leaders of Hamas themselves take part in events (in the state). It was virtual participation only because he didn't obtain a visa. The organisers' intentions were evident...," Surendran said.
The Kerala BJP chief urged the Kerala Police and central agencies to probe the incident further.
Solidarity Youth Movement leader responds
However, state president of the Solidarity Youth Movement Suhaib CT justified the virtual participation of the Hamas leader and said that he took part to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
"He took part in our programme organised to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and to condemn the onslaught by Israel. No need to see anything unusual in that," he said.
He said that Hamas is not a banned outfit in India or an organisation that is operational in the country, and so his participation is not a crime under the law.
There would be many more solidarity events in India, which would prove the support of the Indians for the Palestinian people, Suhaib said.
Owaisi slams Centre over UN General Assembly abstaining
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday sharply criticised the Centre for abstaining from a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a 'humanitarian truce' in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The resolution titled "Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations" was overwhelmingly adopted with 120 nations voting in its favour, 14 against it and 45 abstaining, including India.
"India has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side-by-side in peace with Israel. For this, we urge the parties to de-escalate, eschew violence and work towards creating conditions for an early resumption of direct peace negotiations," sources said.
Taking to social media platform X, Owaisi said, "It is SHOCKING that @narendramodi govt abstained on the @UN resolution for a humanitarian truce & protection of civilian lives. 7028 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza. Over 3000 of them are children & 1700 women. At least 45% of housing in Gaza has been destroyed."
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has soared past 7,300, more than 60% of them minors and women, according to the territory's Health Ministry. The overall number of deaths far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous Israel-Hamas wars, estimated at around 4,000.
The Israeli military said that it was “expanding” ground operations in the territory and was moving closer to an all-out invasion of Gaza in its objectives to "crush" the Hamas militant group responsible for an unprecedented attack on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel.
(With PTI inputs)
