A young Muslim man from Uttar Pradesh’s Agra was arrested for waving a Palestinian flag during a Muharram procession, after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
According to police, 22-year-old Aman Khan was seen waving a Palestinian flag at Ghat Tiraha in Nagla Fatoori during a Muharram procession. After a video of the incident went viral on social media, police identified him and arrested him on Monday morning.
The incident took place on Saturday night in Nagla Fatoori Ghat near the Yamuna Bridge crossing under the jurisdiction of Etmadullah police station.
The video, originally posted from a Facebook account named Aman Khan, showed the procession with the Palestinian flag and the caption “Muharram Agra 9th” in English.
The video also featured an edited image of the flag. Police have since removed it from his account.
He was arrested under BNSS sections 170 ( arrest to prevent commission of cognisable offences) and 126 (breach of peace).
“Aman Khan has been booked under charges of disturbing public peace. He admitted his mistake and apologised with folded hands when we brought him to the police station,” said an officer from Etmadullah Police Station.
He was presented before a court and later sent to jail.
Interestingly, this nationwide crackdown on pro-Palestine protests, including arrests and FIRs, comes even as the Indian government continues to uphold its official stance supporting Palestine’s full membership at the United Nations, advocating a two-state solution, and condemning the loss of civilian lives in Gaza on at least six occasions since October 2023.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.