Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘Palestine’ bag invites BJP appeasement barb | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A bag carried by Priyanka Gandhi to Parliament with ‘Palestine’ prominently emblazoned on it triggered a discussion among its members as well as visitors to the House, while inviting barbs from BJP which called it a “bag of appeasement”.
The bag, apparently a cultural microcosm of Palestine with motifs and symbols associated with the embattled state below its name, also sported a dove, alluding to Priyanka’s demand for peace in the region, which is at war with Israel that has claimed thousands of lives.
BJP spokesman Sambit Patra took exception to her symbolism and said, “For Gandhi family, appeasement is nothing new. From Nehru to Priyanka Gandhi, they have always carried bag of appeasement, never bag of patriotism. This baggage is the reason behind their defeats.”
Calling Congress “the new Muslim League”, BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya termed Priyanka a “bigger disaster than Rahul Gandhi”.
He said a two-minute silence must be observed for Congress at the end of winter session. “She thinks sporting a bag in support of Palestine in Parliament is about fighting patriarchy. That is right. Crass communal virtue-signalling to Muslims is now cloaked as a stance against patriarchy. Make no mistake, Congress is the new Muslim League,” Malviya wrote on X.
Priyanka has been demanding an end to the Israeli attack on Palestine through social media posts, highlighting the dead and also the plight of children and women, even labelling the Israeli action “genocidal”.
To a media query that “they say parliamentarians cannot carry this”, Priyanka replied, “Who is going to decide what clothes I wear now. That is typical patriarchy that you decide what clothes women wear. I don’t subscribe to it. I will wear what I want to.”
Priyanka’s symbolic gesture came days after she was seen wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh (traditional Palestinian headscarf) during a meeting with the Palestinian charge d’affaires.
“Priyanka Gandhi shows her solidarity with Palestine by carrying a special bag symbolising her support. A gesture of compassion, commitment to justice and humanity. She is clear that nobody can violate the Geneva Convention,” Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed wrote on X.