Mumbai Police have issued a legal notice to Pradnya Prabhulkar, a candidate from the Revolutionary Workers Party of India (RWPI), following an incident during a municipal election rally where a Palestinian flag appeared on a bag carried by one of her campaign workers. Activists have criticized the police’s response as an infringement on democratic rights.
Prabhulkar, who is contesting from Ward No. 140 in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, reported that the notice was served after a campaign rally held on January 3 in Bhujbalwadi, Govandi. She explained that one of the women accompanying her carried a bag featuring Palestinian flag artwork, which the woman often uses. The police have labeled the display as “illegal,” claiming it could disturb public peace.
After the rally, Senior Police Inspector Ramesh Yadav from the Deonar police station summoned the campaign team, initially indicating that the photographs taken during the event were for routine documentation. However, Prabhulkar later received a notice under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which the police referred to as a response to “illegal activity” associated with the Palestinian flag.
Prabhulkar conveyed that the police warned of potential action if a similar incident were to occur again, suggesting this approach is part of a larger pattern of targeting pro-Palestinian activists in Mumbai. “This kind of oppressive action is not new,” she remarked, adding that it was “very shameful.”
Activists in Mumbai have condemned the police’s action. Dr. Pooja Vrushali, an advocate for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and affiliated with Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine, questioned how showing solidarity with Palestine could be viewed as a threat to public order. She contrasted this police response with a lack of action regarding inflammatory remarks made by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya during a visit to Govandi. “Why does the police not take action in such cases?” she asked.
Vrushali asserted that the notice constitutes an attack on democratic rights and suggested that partnerships between the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Israel may have influenced the police’s actions, indicating that the police were responding to government pressure.
Feroze Mithiborwala from the India Palestine Solidarity Forum also criticized the notice, describing it as a demonstration of double standards where governments that express formal support for Palestine suppress citizens advocating for the cause. “This exposes the weakness of our foreign policy,” he stated.
Dr. Kashif, an activist with Friends of Palestine, Mumbai, called the incident “reprehensible,” claiming it violates constitutional protections for freedom of expression and reflects bias within the police system. Prabhulkar emphasized that the police lacked a legal basis to challenge the political messages raised during an election campaign, asserting that support for Palestine pertains to national freedom, not religious matters. “We will continue to support it,” she said.
Attempts to reach Senior Police Inspector Ramesh Pandurang Yadav for comment went unanswered, and police did not provide clarification regarding the legal grounds for deeming the display of the Palestinian flag as illegal.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding expressions of solidarity with Palestine in India and raises questions about the intersection of law enforcement and political expression.
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