HYDERABAD: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel “untimely”, alleging that it had sent a wrong message to Gulf countries amid the Iran-Israel conflict.
Addressing reporters here, Owaisi claimed that Israel used the prime minister’s visit to signal to the world that India stood with it. He questioned whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had informed Modi about a planned attack on Iran.
“If Netanyahu had informed him, then the prime minister should have immediately ended his visit and returned to the country. If he was not informed, then it means Israel has betrayed India and its 133 crore people,” Owaisi said.
He asked what “national interest” was achieved by the visit to Tel Aviv, recalling that India had maintained a neutral position in West Asia for nearly 80 years. “We were always neutral. What happened to that 80-year-old legacy?” he asked.
Owaisi further said Israel had taken advantage of the visit to justify its attack on Iran and to divert attention from its actions in Gaza. “They used the prime minister’s visit to justify their attack on Iran and to cover up their actions against Palestinians in Gaza,” he alleged.
Raising concerns over the safety of Indian nationals in the region, he said around 50,000 Indians were in Iran and about 10,000 in Israel, while nearly 10 million live in Gulf countries. He called for steps to ensure their protection and evacuation if required.
“What message will go to the common citizens of those countries when Israel attacked Iran soon after the prime minister’s visit?” he asked, adding that recent developments in Bahrain and Qatar had added to tensions. Referring to ceasefire efforts in Gaza, he said Qatar had been hosting talks even as strikes continued.
Questioning the outcome of the visit, Owaisi asked: “What does India gain from this? Who will suffer because of this?” He said the prime minister and
the BJP should clarify how India’s national interests were served.