Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra caught attention in Parliament on Monday with a bag adorned with the word “Palestine.” The eye-catching accessory displayed symbols of support for Palestinians, including a watermelon, a well-known emblem of resistance in the region. Gandhi, a vocal advocate for the Palestinian cause, has consistently condemned the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A photo of Priyanka Gandhi carrying the “Palestine” bag on Parliament grounds was shared on social media by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed. The image comes just days after Gandhi was spotted wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian headscarf, during a meeting with Palestine embassy charge d’affaires Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer.
The meeting, held at her residence in Delhi, saw Palestinian diplomat Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer congratulating Priyanka Gandhi on her election victory from Kerala’s Wayanad. During their conversation, Jazer emphasized that India should take a leading role in advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and supporting the reconstruction of the war-torn region.
Gandhi has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza. In October of the previous year, she accused Israel of breaching international law during its military operations. She has also reproached the Modi government for its failure to take stronger steps toward peace. Earlier this year, Gandhi condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions, describing the war in Gaza as “barbaric” and urging nations worldwide to denounce what she called “genocidal actions.”
“It is the moral responsibility of every right-thinking individual, including all those Israeli citizens who do not believe in hatred and violence, and every government in the world to condemn the Israeli government’s genocidal actions and force them to stop,” Gandhi had said in an X post in July.
Priyanka Gandhi was recently elected as an MP from Wayanad, a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala that was vacated by her brother and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. Wayanad has a significant Muslim population, and during her election campaign, she frequently criticized the Netanyahu government in Israel.
