Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘Palestine’ bag carries a message, BJP calls it 'baggage of appeasement'

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made a symbolic statement on Monday by carrying a handbag emblazoned with “Palestine” and featuring Palestinian emblems, including a watermelon, a widely recognised symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. The gesture, seen as a show of support for the people of the conflict-torn region, quickly drew reactions across the political spectrum.  

Congress spokesperson Dr Shama Mohammed shared an image of Vadra with the bag on social media, stating, “Smt. @priyankagandhi Ji 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.”  

Vadra has consistently expressed her solidarity with Palestinians and criticised Israel’s military actions in Gaza. In June, she strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, calling its actions in Gaza “genocidal” and “barbaric.” Responding to Netanyahu’s speech defending the Gaza war in the US Congress, Vadra had posted on X (formerly Twitter), “It is the moral responsibility of every right-thinking individual, including those Israeli citizens who reject hatred and violence, and every government worldwide, to condemn the Israeli government's genocidal actions and force them to stop.”  

Her stance has resonated with Palestinian representatives. Last week, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, Charge d’Affaires at the Palestine Embassy in New Delhi, met Vadra to congratulate her on her recent electoral victory from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, as reported by PTI.  

The BJP, however, criticised Vadra’s gesture, accusing her of playing “appeasement politics.” BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “For the Gandhi family, appeasement is nothing new. From Nehru to Priyanka Vadra, they have always carried the bag of appeasement, never the bag of patriotism. This baggage is the reason behind their defeats.”  

Vadra’s symbolic act has reignited political debate over India’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict, highlighting Congress’s vocal criticism of Israel’s actions and the BJP’s counter-narrative, which frames it as pandering to certain voter bases.