Mumbai: Activists detained after trying to show solidarity with Palestinians

Members of Raza Academy organise a special prayer for the Palestine people outside Minara Masjid, Mohammed Ali Road on Friday

AMID the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, the Mumbai Police have intensified their efforts to ensure public safety and prevent any potential law-and-order disturbances. They have initiated discussions with community leaders, emphasising the importance of maintaining peace and refraining from street protests. Meetings were organised with the Mojalla committee on Thursday, where the authorities urged community members to avoid any public demonstrations that might escalate tensions.

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Also, the authorities are closely monitoring social media activities, working in collaboration with the special branch to swiftly remove any content that could incite unrest. Local police stations in Mumbai and Thane have held meetings with mosque imams and committee members to underscore the significance of maintaining calm and preventing any form of public unrest following Friday prayers.

Police reach out

Moin Ashraf Qadri of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema said, "A general meeting was held by the police, as is customary during major events, where they sought information regarding any planned protests. However, we had already decided to hold a peaceful gathering inside the mosque, offering prayers for our Palestinian brethren who have long suffered due to the conflict. The police did not issue any specific directives regarding the protest."

Scenes from the protest at Lallubhai Compound in Mankhurd on Friday evening. Pics/Eshan Kalyanikar

Similarly, Shoeb Khatib, secretary of Juma Masjid of Bombay Trust, Crawford Market, explained, "The LT Marg police summoned us for a meeting before Friday prayers, inquiring about any scheduled protests against Israel. While no specific instructions were given to abstain from protests, we chose to conduct our prayers inside the mosque, prioritising public safety and order."

At Cheetah Camp, a predominantly Muslim area, a meeting was organised where clerics were requested to refrain from organising any public demonstrations and instead encourage prayers within the mosque. Maulana Mohammed Zahid, the imam of the mosque in Cheetah Camp, stated, "The police emphasised the sensitivity of the issue and urged us to prioritise humanity and prevent any disturbances in our locality. We were instructed to conduct our prayers inside the mosque. During the Friday sermon, I urged the Muslim community to ensure that no one takes to the streets and advised anyone considering otherwise to inform the police and seek permission."

A meeting was also organised by Thane police in Mumbra where instructions were given not to carry out street protests due to security reasons as this might trigger a situation in the area and other parts of the city. Notably, the police have heightened security in Muslim neighbourhoods as well as areas with Israeli residents. They have implemented stringent security measures around the Israeli embassy and locations relevant to the Jewish community in the city. "The meeting was organised to listen to the problems of the people, and various issues were discussed," said DCP Ganesh Gawde, Thane (Zone 1).

Activists detained

Meanwhile, six city-based activists have been detained by the Matunga and Mankhurd police since they approached the former seeking permission to stage a demonstration expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine. The detained activists are affiliated with the Revolutionary Workers Party (India), while about 25 of their counterparts proceeded with the protest at Lallubhai Compound in Mankhurd on Friday evening.

Members of Raza Academy organise a special prayer for the Palestine people outside Minara Masjid, Mohammed Ali Road on Friday

Pooja, an activist involved in the demonstration, said one person was detained late on Thursday evening by the Matunga police, while three others were detained by the Mankhurd cops on Friday morning. She stated, "All we wanted to do was inform them [Matunga police] that we intended to conduct a protest; they detained our members, claiming that our protest could hurt religious sentiments and disrupt harmony."

She added that the group had no intention to protest at Mankhurd earlier and had not approached the officials there. "They suddenly showed up at the library that we run in the area and started taking people with them. We were just sitting and doing our work," Pooja said.

Senior Inspector Deepak Chavan of the Matunga police station confirmed that an activist, Baban Thoke, had been detained by them on Thursday evening. He said, "They wanted to protest about a contentious issue that is occurring elsewhere. We were concerned that it could disturb law and order. They would have proceeded with the protest even if we had simply denied them permission." He added that Thoke has been detained under Section 151(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Meanwhile, Mankhurd police station officials refused to answer any questions.

Lawyer Speak

Advocate Lara Jaisani of the People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) said the section can be applied only when the police believe a cognisable offence can take place. "There is no offence that was going to take place and the right to protest is a constitutional right, not a crime. In any case, no one can be kept under preventive detention for more than 24 hours and if that happens, one can approach the court for their release since it would amount to arbitrary and illegal detention," she added.

According to senior journalist Stanly Johny, more than 1,350 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli forces in Gaza just days after an attack by the militant group Hamas on October 7, which killed 1,200 Israelis.

Inputs by Eshan Kalyanikar