Withdraw cases filed against those who waved Palestinian flag in Muharram processions CPI M

New Delhi, Jul 19 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Friday demanded that cases filed against those who waved Palestinian flags during Muharram processions be withdrawn and asked the BJP-led central government to "unequivocally" express solidarity with Palestine.
    People detained or arrested for waving Palestinian flags should also be released, the Left party said in a statement issued here.
    Cases have been filed mostly in states where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) claimed.
    The CPI(M) politburo "demands immediate withdrawal of criminal cases filed against people for waving Palestinian flags during Muharram processions", it said.
    Citing reports, the party said, "They said such cases were filed in Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand under stringent sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita upon complaints made by BJP and VHP leaders." 
    "Most of these states where the cases were filed are governed by the BJP and its allies or under the direct governance of the central government. The BJP-led government claims to support the Palestinian State, but the filing of these cases exposes its true face. It is unable to tolerate Indian people's support for Palestine," the CPI(M) said.
    The Left party demanded the withdrawal of cases and also the immediate release of those who were detained or arrested for expressing their support to Palestine.
    The Union government should "unequivocally" express its solidarity with Palestine and demand that Israel withdraw from all the territories it has occupied as well as restore the Statehood of Palestine, with the pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as the capital, the CPI(M) said.
    Muharram was observed on Wednesday with Muslims taking out tazia processions across the country and offering special prayers.
    For allegedly waving the Palestinian flag during Muharram processions, at least three people were apprehended by police in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa city, one person was arrested and another detained in Jharkhand's Dumka and at least four people were arrested from Nawada and Darbhanga in Bihar.
    In West Bengal, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has shared on social media a video purportedly showing a flag of Palestine being waved during a procession in Murshidabad district and demanded police action.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)