An old video of former Indian Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech at a rally in Delhi has resurfaced after almost 46 years.
The video has been shared by political expert Sudheendra Kulkarni with the caption, ‘For permanent peace in the Middle-East, Israel must vacate Palestinian land it has illegally occupied.’ -- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when he became India’s External Affairs Minister, at a rally in Delhi in March 1977.
In the 1977 video, the late leader who took charge as external affairs minister is heard backing Palestine and saying Israel must vacate Palestinian land it has illegally occupied.
Late Prime Minister Vajpayee also expressed the need for a resolution in the Middle East that would put an end to aggression and serve as the foundation for lasting peace.
The video has popped up amid the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas fighters from Gaza.
Notably, Israel's defense minister ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip following an unprecedented incursion into Israel by Hamas fighters on October 9.