Priyanka Gandhi’s tote protest: From Palestine to Bangladesh, a message stitched in symbolism

A day after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made waves by carrying a pro-Palestine bag to Parliament, she and several Opposition members escalated their symbolic protests on Tuesday. This time, they arrived with tote bags and placards condemning atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh, taking their demonstration to the Parliament premises.

The Congress has been leveraging unconventional means during the Winter Session to draw attention to key issues they want addressed, such as the Adani Group’s indictment by a US court. Earlier, Opposition MPs donned jackets and t-shirts emblazoned with slogans like ‘Modi-Adani ek hain’, signalling their dissent against the government.

Priyanka Gandhi’s pro-Palestine bag on Monday, however, became the centre of a political storm. The bag, inscribed with "Palestine" and featuring symbols like a watermelon — widely recognized as a sign of solidarity with Palestine — drew sharp reactions from the ruling BJP.

The BJP accused Gandhi of prioritising symbolic gestures over national issues, with BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleging "vote-bank appeasement." “Congress indulges in appeasement politics and uses symbolic agendas to manipulate voters,” Tiwari claimed.

Union MoS SP Singh Baghel went a step further, calling the move a deliberate attempt to polarise Muslim voters. “This isn’t a coincidence. By carrying a bag marked ‘Palestine,’ Priyanka Gandhi is sending a message to appease a section of voters. If she carried an Indian-made bag instead, it would have promoted ‘Swadeshi’ industries,” Baghel remarked.

Responding to the backlash, Priyanka Gandhi hit back at the BJP, urging the government to focus on real issues. “Instead of discussing rubbish, the government should take action against the atrocities happening in Bangladesh against minorities and Hindus. Talks must be held with Bangladesh on this matter,” she said outside Parliament.

The controversy intensified as political analysts linked Gandhi’s symbolic gestures to recent developments. Just a day before the bag incident, Palestine’s Charge d’Affaires, Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer, met Priyanka Gandhi at her residence to congratulate her on her electoral victory. Jazer reportedly expressed gratitude for her support for Palestine’s freedom.

The backdrop to this political drama remains the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, which escalated in October 2023 following Hamas's attack on Israel. India’s official stance, reiterated by the Ministry of External Affairs, has been a consistent call for a two-state solution ensuring peace between Israel and a sovereign, independent Palestine.

While the BJP seeks to frame Priyanka Gandhi’s gestures as politically motivated, the Congress appears intent on amplifying issues of minority oppression, both at home and abroad, as part of its broader Opposition strategy.