Kannauj, June 14 -- Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat on Wednesday backed Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her criticism of Centre for abstaining to vote on the United Nations motion on Gaza ceasefire.

Speaking with ANI, Harish Rawat said that people of Palestine have always stood with India, and thanked Priyanka Gandhi for expressing "common sentiment of nation."

"India has a very old relation with the Palestinians since the times of Yasser Arafat. If there is any Arab nation that stood with us against Pakistan, it is Palestine. The people of Palestine have always stood with India. They supported us in every war and difficulty," Rawat said.

"If someone is ethnically cleansing Palestinians, then that is unfortunate. Priyanka Gan...