Overview

• On July 17, Congress publicly challenged the government over its unilateral foreign policy decisions, including the June 12 UN Gaza ceasefire abstention, with no substantive response from officials.
• Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma described the divergence from traditional positions as a “drift” that has weakened India’s global influence and broken decades-old consensus.
• The opposition demanded comprehensive debates in both houses of Parliament to enable transparent scrutiny of foreign policy choices.
• Lawmakers criticized the abstention as damaging to India’s credibility as leader of the Global South, noting that 149 countries supported the ceasefire resolution.
• Congress urged honest introspection and strategic recalibration—particularly in neighbourhood engagement—to reclaim India’s moral standing and guard against partisan influences.