Himanta Sarma’s ‘Supriya Sule’ jibe as he counters Sharad Pawar’s attack on PM Modi

Amid the ongoing political slugfest over Sharad Pawar’s comments over the Israel-Hamas war, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a jibe at the Nationalist Congress Party chief on Wednesday, saying it seems like he will send his daughter Supriya Sule to Gaza to fight for the militant group.

“I think Sharad Pawar will send Supriya (Sule) madam to Gaza to fight for Hamas,” Sarma said to news agency ANI when asked to comment on Pawar’s take on the ongoing war.

A political furore has erupted after the NCP chief criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showing solidarity with Israel, saying that it’s unfortunate that the PM neglected the real issue as former prime ministers of India also “stood firmly with Palestine”.

“The entire land is of Palestine and Israel encroached on their land. That place, land and houses, everything was of Palestine and later Israel took over it. Israel is an outsider and the land is originally of Palestine,” Pawar had said while addressing a gathering of party workers in Mumbai.

Union minister Piyush Goyal, expressing his dismay at Pawar’s remarks, emphasised the need to condemn terrorism worldwide. Goyal pointed out that Pawar had held prominent positions in the government during critical security incidents.

“It is very disturbing when a senior leader like Sharad Pawar makes preposterous statements on India’s stand on a terror attack in Israel. The menace of terrorism has to be condemned in all forms, in any part of the world. It is a pity that a person who has been India’s defence minister as well as a chief minister many times has such a casual view of issues relating to terror,” he posted on X.

“Pawar ji was a part of the same Government that shed tears on the Batla House encounter and slept while there were terror attacks on Indian soil. This rotten mindset has to stop. I hope Pawar ji at least now, thinks of the nation first,” he further said.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also condemned the NCP chief’s remarks and said that the country has never changed its position on this issue but has “always strongly opposed terrorism”.

“India has never changed its position on the Israel-Palestine dispute. However, at the same time, India has been consistently against and has always strongly opposed terrorism in any form and against anyone,” he said in a post on ‘X’.

Modi on October 7 had expressed solidarity with Israel after it was shelled by the rocket strikes launched by Hamas militants saying that India’s thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families.

The war between Israel and the Hamas militants entered its 13th day on Thursday. Tel Aviv has stationed its forces along the Gaza border, carrying out drills for a possible ground invasion to pursue Hamas militants. The war has claimed over 4,000 lives since it began on October 7 including around 1,400 Israelis and 2,750 Palestinians.