"It is anti-national activity": BJP's Dushyant Gautam slams Hamas leader's participation at pro-Palestine rally in Kerala

New Delhi: Expressing concern over the participation of Hamas leader Khaled Mashal at a pro-Palestine rally in Kerala, BJP leader Dushyant Gautam on Saturday said it was "anti-national activity" and asked the CPI(M)-led government in the state to stop any such activities.

The BJP leader also targeted the India bloc over Mashal's virtual participation in the event held in Malappuram in Kerala on Friday and said members of the opposition alliance are making "such efforts to degrade Sanatan Dharma and Hindu religion".

"The country and the Government of India oppose any terrorist organisation. We oppose Hamas. The participation of the Hamas leader in the meeting is anti-national activity. The (state) government should stop this. People of the INDIA alliance are continuously making such efforts to degrade Sanatan Dharma and Hindu religion," Gautam told ANI.

The Hamas leader took part in the event which was organised by Solidarity Youth Movement, the youth wing of Jamaat-Islami in Kerala. Mashal, a former Hamas chief, addressed the gathering virtually in Arabic language.

"Uproot bulldozer Hindutva and apartheid Zionism" poster was visible in the footage of the event.

Kerala BJP president K Surendran said such events were unacceptable and slammed the state government.

"Hamas leader Khaled Mashel's virtual address at the Solidarity event in Malappuram is alarming. Where's Pinarayi Vijayan's Kerala Police? Under the guise of 'Save Palestine,' they're glorifying Hamas, a terrorist organization, and its leaders as 'warriors.' This is unacceptable! HMO India," K Surendran posted on X on Friday.

The Israel-Hamas war entered the 22nd day on Saturday. India strongly condemned "the horrific terrorist attack on Israel" on October 7 and said the international community must stand together in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and there can be no equivocation on this.

"There was also an issue of Palestine, and on that, we have reiterated our position in favour of direct negotiations for establishing a two-state solution. We have also expressed our concern about the civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation. We would urge the strict observance of international humanitarian law," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a media briefing earlier this month. (ANI)