Rajya Sabha begins debate on Gaza

The Rajya Sabha Monday took up the debate on conflict in the Gaza strip, an issue which disrupted the upper house last week.

Initiating the debate, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Gaza strip was being attacked from all sides and questioned if India's foreign policy has changed.

"It is a small strip of land, it is being attacked from all sides," he said.

"Has the foreign policy of India changed? The policy that was there in Jawaharlal Nehru's time, Indira Gandhi's time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time, has that changed?" Azad asked.

Azad also said half of India's remittance form foreign countries comes from west Asia. "Let us condemn the attack and pass a resolution," he said.

The debate, which was earlier listed in the upper house Wednesday last week, was stalled after the government said it did want a debate on the issue.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Hamid Ansari against allowing the debate. However, the chairman gave a go ahead for it.

The government then agreed to take up the debate Monday.