Pune Police Book Pro-Palestine Protesters For Distributing Posters Allegedly Supporting Hamas - Know Full Story

The Pune Police has registered a case against members of a pro-Palestine group, BDS India, for allegedly spreading the ideas and practices of organisations like Hamas, distributing posters supporting them among the public and trying to disrupt communal harmony by creating religious rifts.

The complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office bearer Mahesh Pawale. He also alleged that the group hurt the sentiments of the Jewish community by illegally gathering for their pro-Palestine protest in Karve Nagar at a time when there was a war-like situation between India and Pakistan.

A case has been registered against BDS India members Sasmit Rao, Kamal Shah, Swapnaja Limkar, Lalita Tangirala, and other activists under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Warje Police Station.

In response, BDS India has also lodged an FIR against Pawale and other BJP leaders for allegedly thrashing them and hurling abuses during their protest outside the Domino’s outlet in Karve Nagar on May 10. The video of the incident had gone viral on social media.

Amid this, many on social media claimed that "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans were raised during the protest. However, BDS India released a statement refuting the allegations.

The statement read, "A series of videos are being released by the BJP's propaganda machinery and IT cell to construct a false narrative about BDS Pune and BDS in general. We categorically deny all the baseless charges being levelled against us by the very goons who attacked our peaceful campaign, and we also condemn the efforts of Pune Police in protecting them and denying us our fundamental right of even registering an FIR!"

"Pune Police is clearly hand in glove with the BJP politicians and is protecting their hooliganism. We again categorically deny that we raised any 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans, for which there is no evidence. We do support the liberation of Palestine, which all justice-loving people do, and that has nothing to do with the ideology of Hamas. Only a wave of false propaganda is being created by the BJP IT cell," the statement concluded.