On Sunday, at least 23 individuals were detained by Pune Police on JM Road while attempting to hold a demonstration against Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to Israel.
The protest was called by the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP), which sought to publicly condemn India’s increasing alignment with Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza, which the group has described as genocidal.
According to IPSP organisers, the police rejected their permission request mere hours before the scheduled event. Despite this, participants gathered peacefully at the designated spot, only to be detained on arrival. Protesters were picked up from the site and taken into custody, with many now held at Deccan Police Station.
In a strongly worded statement, IPSP accused the authorities of suppressing dissent, stating: “It is evident that the fascist rulers fear any voice of opposition and are mounting a full-scale assault on our democratic right to protest against the government’s anti-people policies.
While the BJP and Modi build closer ties with the murderous Netanyahu regime, and the central government mulls joining the so-called Board of Peace, ordinary citizens and young people are being brutally dragged away for standing in solidarity with justice and freedom for the Palestinian people.”
The incident has highlighted tensions over freedom of expression in relation to India’s foreign policy stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. — With Agencies Inputs
The protest was called by the Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP), which sought to publicly condemn India’s increasing alignment with Israel during the ongoing war in Gaza, which the group has described as genocidal.
According to IPSP organisers, the police rejected their permission request mere hours before the scheduled event. Despite this, participants gathered peacefully at the designated spot, only to be detained on arrival. Protesters were picked up from the site and taken into custody, with many now held at Deccan Police Station.
In a strongly worded statement, IPSP accused the authorities of suppressing dissent, stating: “It is evident that the fascist rulers fear any voice of opposition and are mounting a full-scale assault on our democratic right to protest against the government’s anti-people policies.
While the BJP and Modi build closer ties with the murderous Netanyahu regime, and the central government mulls joining the so-called Board of Peace, ordinary citizens and young people are being brutally dragged away for standing in solidarity with justice and freedom for the Palestinian people.”
The incident has highlighted tensions over freedom of expression in relation to India’s foreign policy stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. — With Agencies Inputs