Police acts against youth who waved Palestinian flags during Muharram procession in Srinagar

National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhollah Mehdi in a post on ‘X’ said, "The Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested several youths for raising slogans in favour of the people of Palestine and carrying the Palestinian flag in a Muharram procession yesterday in Srinagar."

He added, “This is an assault on freedom of expression and that too an expression in favour of the oppressed people. As conveyed through telephonic conversation, the Police should release these men and avoid treating them as criminals.”

Shia cleric Aga Syed Mohammed Hadi has justified waving of Palestinian flags by youth in Srinagar and Central district of Budgam, saying, “The mourning for Imam Hussain is a means of remembering his suffering and an act of protest against oppression. If we don’t remember and show our sympathy with the oppressed people of Palestine, the mourning for Hussain and other martyrs of Karbala becomes meaningless. He also criticised the role of the police in suppressing such activity.

The police are officially silent on the allegations. However, the police sources said that some Shia youth have been taken into preventive custody to ensure that the mourning processions and rallies including the main Ashura procession being taken out from the Bota Kada’l quarter of Srinagar on Wednesday to commemorate the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Imam Hussein ibn Ali and his 72 family members and companions in the Battle of Karbala (Iraq) in 680 AD are not disturbed by “such extraneous pastime of these fringe elements''.Police acts against youth who waved Palestinian flags during Muharram procession in Srinagar