A Muslim man was arrested in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for waving a Palestine flag during a Muharram procession.
Aman Khan, 22, from the northern Indian city of Agra was arrested after a video emerged on social media showing him waving a Palestine flag during a Muharram procession.
Khan was taken into police custody on Monday morning following the circulation of the video filmed in Nagla Fatoori Ghat, near the Yamuna Bridge, under the jurisdiction of the Etmadullah Police Station.
The footage, originally uploaded from a Facebook account in Khan’s name, was captioned in English as “Muharram Agra 9th” and showed him carrying what police identified as the Palestine flag.
Authorities stated that Khan was arrested under India’s new criminal code, specifically under sections related to preventing potential cognisable offences, and for allegedly disturbing public order. He reportedly admitted to the act and offered an apology at the police station.
“He was booked for breaching the peace,” an officer at the Etmadullah station said. “He apologised with folded hands when brought in.”
Khan was later presented in court and remanded to judicial custody.
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The incident took place on Saturday night and quickly gained traction online, drawing attention to a broader pattern of suppression targeting pro-Palestinian expressions in India.
Despite India’s longstanding diplomatic support for the Palestinian cause — including backing Palestine’s full membership at the United Nations and endorsing a two-state solution — Indian authorities have ramped up legal actions against domestic expressions of solidarity with Palestinians.
A 2023 report by the legal news portal Article 14 documented at least 17 police cases filed since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza, implicating more than 50 individuals across India for either social media posts or participation in pro-Palestine rallies.
Some of these cases have invoked stringent provisions, such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), typically reserved for terrorism-related offences.
India was among the earliest non-Arab nations to formally recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1977 and later acknowledged Palestinian statehood in 1988. However, India’s foreign policy has undergone a notable recalibration in recent years.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), New Delhi has significantly strengthened its ties with Israel, fuelling concerns over a divergence between India’s stated diplomatic stance and its domestic response to Palestinian solidarity.
