Withdraw cases against Palestinian solidarity supporters: CPI(M)

Srinagar, July 19: The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged for the immediate withdrawal of criminal cases filed against those who waved Palestinian flags during Muharram processions.
These cases, reportedly filed under stringent sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), have sparked controversy across Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand, allegedly prompted by complaints from BJP and VHP leaders, the CPI(M) said in a press release issued here.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments of hypocrisy, particularly in states they govern or influence, the CPI(M) criticised the contradiction between the government’s purported support for Palestine and the legal actions taken against Indian citizens expressing solidarity with Palestine.
“The BJP-led government claims to support Palestine, yet their actions betray their intolerance towards Indian citizens supporting Palestine,” the party said.
The CPI(M) demanded the immediate withdrawal of all cases related to this issue and the release of individuals detained or arrested for showing solidarity with Palestine. It called upon the Central government to unequivocally express solidarity with Palestine, urging Israel to withdraw from occupied territories and reinstate Palestine’s statehood with borders as they existed before 1967, with East Jerusalem recognized as its capital.