In the narrow streets of Naroli, a town in the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, bold messages appeared on the walls of small shops on April 20, 2025: "Free Gaza” and "Boycott Israeli products.” For seven young Muslim men – Asim, Saif, Raees, Matlub, Fardeen, Armaan and Arbaaz – these posters were a quiet act of protest, a peaceful gesture of solidarity with Palestinians living thousands of miles away.

However, the following day, their expression of dissent led to their arrest. A local leader of the Bajrang Dal, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, filed a complaint accusing the youths of disturbing public order. The incident highlights a growing trend in India where even nonviolent acts of protest, such as political boycotts, are increasingly being treated as criminal offenses.

This was not an isolated incident; it marked the beginning of a broader crackdown.

A similar episode occurred in the town of Pali, in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district, where several Muslim residents had put up posters on their homes calling for a boycott of Israeli products. In response, the local police launched an investigation and began searching for those responsible for displaying the anti-Israel messages.

Meanwhile, on May 10, 2025, in Pune, Maharashtra, members of the group Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP) were distributing pamphlets outside a Domino’s restaurant as part of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign. During the distribution, they were attacked by Hindutva extremists, who physically assaulted them and labeled them "deshdrohi" – a Hindi term meaning "anti-national” – while pointing to the Palestinian flag.

On June 3, 2025, police in the Rahimabad area of Lucknow detained two businesspeople after noticing a Palestine logo on their car. The men were held at the police station for five hours while police and intelligence officials questioned them and examined their mobile phones, including WhatsApp messages and call records. The vehicle was thoroughly searched, but no suspicious documents or communications were found. Authorities later confirmed the men had no links to Palestine and released them on orders from senior officials. Before returning the car, the police removed the Palestine logo from its rear window.

Is waving the Palestinian flag a crime?

Recently, India has seen a growing wave of state oppression targeting individuals who express solidarity with Palestine. Acts as simple as waving the Palestinian flag or supporting the boycott of Israeli products have led to arrests and criminal charges across the country.

On April 26, a 50-year-old man named Azam was arrested in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, after hoisting a Palestinian flag on the roof of his rented home. He now faces legal action. Over the past year, hundreds of similar cases have been registered for the public display of the Palestinian flag.

On Eid al-Fitr, police in several Indian states – including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir – filed cases against Muslim youths whose only "crime” was raising the Palestinian flag following Eid prayers. The same happened during Eid al-Adha. Similar actions were criminalized during the Muharram and during the Ashura processions.

This raises an important question: Is waving the Palestinian flag a crime in India? According to legal experts, the answer is no. There is currently no law in India that prohibits the display of flags belonging to countries with which India maintains diplomatic relations, including Palestine. Legally, the Flag Code of India, 2002, governs the use of flags within the country. Section 7 of the Code outlines the rules for flying foreign flags, stating that they may be displayed as long as they do not disrespect the Indian national flag.

Criminalizing pro-Palestine demonstrations

The issue extends beyond boycotting Israeli products or waving the Palestinian flag. In India, even organizing peaceful demonstrations or public events in support of Palestine is increasingly being treated as a criminal act.

In Mumbra, a town in Thane district of Maharashtra, police registered a case against 35 individuals who had organized a solidarity march and a prayer meeting outside a mosque. The event was held to express support for the Palestinian people, but authorities deemed the march "illegal” and launched an investigation into those involved.

On June 23, a protest in support of Palestine took place outside the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India’s capital. According to eyewitnesses and activists, police responded with force – allegedly beating peaceful demonstrators, including women, minors and people with disabilities – and subsequently detained many of them.

A planned rally in support of Gaza, organized by opposition political parties, was scheduled to take place at Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan on June 18. However, following objections from right-wing Hindutva groups, the Mumbai Police denied permission for the event.

Earlier, at a National Workers’ Conference organized by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions in Delhi, police reportedly removed banners that condemned Israeli military actions in Palestine. Similarly, a scheduled seminar on the Israeli assault on Gaza at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Gurugram University was canceled, officially due to procedural issues in event approval.

These incidents reflect a broader political trend that has intensified since Oct. 7, 2023. In several cases, individuals have even faced criminal charges for expressing support for Palestine on social media.

Hindutva-Israel provocations unpunished

Meanwhile, members and affiliates of Hindutva organizations in India have publicly waved the Israeli flag without facing any administrative action. In fact, their actions have become increasingly provocative. Some have even resorted to burning the Palestinian flag, an act that has gone unpunished. On April 19, during the vote count for the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) election, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) – a student wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – burned the Palestinian flag and chanted slogans in support of Israel.

They even attend peaceful pro-Palestine demonstrations and chant slogans in support of Israel, often in the presence of police. This happened during a protest in Delhi’s Nehru Place area on July 19, 2025.

Hindutva-aligned groups not only enjoy the freedom to express support for Israel on social media but also face no restrictions when organizing rallies or public demonstrations. This apparent double standard is often linked to India’s increasingly close diplomatic and defense ties with Israel.

This is in stark contrast to India’s historical position. For decades, India was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause. It was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1974. In 1988, India became the first country in the world to recognize the State of Palestine, although India has always supported a negotiated two-state solution in the U.N. However, the current government has been abstaining from voting when it comes to supporting Palestine in the U.N.

Today, however, peaceful demonstrations in support of Palestine are being criminalized, and even the act of waving a Palestinian flag can lead to arrest. Despite this, Indian Muslims, secular Indians, along with a few opposition leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, continue to stand in solidarity with Palestine, often at significant personal risk. These crackdowns by the authorities have not broken their resolve.