A female tourist, reportedly from Austria, has been booked by the Kerala Police for destroying pro-Palestine posters in Kochi. The posters, erected by members of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), allegedly contained protest messages against Israel for its attack on Palestine.
The case against the foreigner was registered at Fort Kochi police station limit on Monday evening after SIO Kochi area secretary Muhammed Azeem KS filed a complaint against her.
A senior police officer said there were two female foreign tourists. One of them allegedly destroyed the pro-Palestine boards put up by the student body in front of the Jankar Jetty in Kochi. She has been booked under section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for deliberate provocation with intent to cause a riot.
Police said the boards had contained protest messages against Israel for its attack on the Palestinian territory.
A video of the foreign tourist engaging in heated arguments, allegedly with SIO activists, after tearing down the banners went viral on social media.
Reacting to the video, an X user said many in Kerala are fighting battles for Palestine. “That’s why they were feeling so hurt. I want all these volunteers to visit Gaza and volunteer at the ground level. It will be more effective!” While another user commented, “Kerala overwhelmingly stands with Palestine…”
Two American users also commented on the video saying “The entitlement is outrageous with these people”, while the other one said, “She is a walking poster child for Racial Supremacy.”
Several pro-Palestine rallies have been organised in the state ever since the Hamas-Israel conflict began last year.
Hamas leader Khaled Mashal virtually addressed one such rally in Malappuram district last year. The rally was organised by Solidarity Youth Movement, the youth wing of Jamaat-Islami in Kerala.
The BJP cornered the Opposition alliance INDIA over the rally, terming it as ‘anti-national’ and ‘anti-Sanatan’ activity.
Kerala BJP president K Surendran in a post on X wrote: “Hamas leader Khaled Mashel’s virtual address at the solidarity event in Malappuram is alarming. Where’s Pinarayi Vijayan’s Kerala Police? Under the guise of ‘Save Palestine,’ they’re glorifying Hamas, a terrorist organization, and its leaders as ‘warriors.’ This is unacceptable! HMO India.”
(With PTI inputs)
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Published: 17 Apr 2024, 10:36 PM IST