In a bold display of solidarity, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been carrying handbags with messages supporting Palestinian causes and the plight of minorities in Bangladesh.
The Wayanad MP has captured public attention and invited political reactions from across the country.
Handbags with key messages – The reactions
Priyanka Gandhi, known for her vocal stance on various social issues, made headlines by first carrying a bag with a pro-Palestine message in the Indian Parliament.
The initial appearance with the ‘Palestine’ bag led to protests and slogans from BJP MPs. Critics within the BJP accused her of focusing on foreign issues while neglecting domestic challenges, questioning the sincerity of her political messaging.
However, supporters from her party and other opposition groups praised her for taking a stand on global humanitarian issues, arguing that it reflects India’s long-standing commitment to international justice.
Following the Palestine statement, Ms. Gandhi’s subsequent bag carried a message about the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, particularly Hindus. This sparked a significant debate on social media and political circles, with some seeing it as an attempt to tap into the concerns of Hindu voters in India, a strategy that aligns with the broader political landscape where communal issues seem to be playing a crucial role.
The choice of her bags has been interpreted as a nuanced attempt to balance domestic and international human rights concerns, reflecting her party’s broader human rights narrative.
The political discourse around these actions has been multifaceted. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath critiqued the focus on Palestine, contrasting it with state initiatives sending Indian youths for work abroad. Meanwhile, discussions on social media highlighted the plight of Bangladeshi minorities, with some posts suggesting that this was an overlooked issue until now.