Centre should clear stand on Gaza: Muslim groups

Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hesitant in criticising Israel's offensive on Gaza, Muslim groups and activists Wednesday asked the central government to clear its stand on the issue.

Taking out a procession in the city to condemn the "mass killings" in Gaza, several Muslim groups, led by the All India Minority Youth Federation, alleged that both the central and the West Bengal governments did not criticise the attacks.

"Unlike Indian leaders of pre- and post-independence era, Modi has been hesitant in criticising the slaughtering of hundreds of people by Israel. We want the central government to be clear about their stand and to stand by Palestine," said Mohammad Qamruzzaman, general secretary of the All Bengal Minority Youth Federation.

He said the silence of the Mamata Banerjee government and intellectuals from the city was disheartening.

"The state should be more involved and my appeal to Mamata Banerjee and her government is to criticise Gaza violence in stronger words," he said.

Asserting the "attacks were on the human race", Choton Das of Bandi Mukti Committee - a rights organisation - lamented the lack of criticism by the union government.

"It is not only a question of attack on Muslims. It is an attack on human race," he said.