Bengaluru: Approximately 600 people from various parts of Karnataka gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday to protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and the recent bombings in Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and Syria. The protestors called on both the Indian and Karnataka governments to sever ties with Israel and denounced what they termed as complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.
The protest, organized by Bengaluru for Peace and Justice, saw participation from citizens, student activist groups, women’s rights organizations, farmers’ associations, and trade unions. The demonstrators highlighted the staggering humanitarian toll in Palestine, with an estimated 1,86,000 Palestinians killed, including over 16,500 children, and more than 2.3 million people displaced from their homes.
Aishwarya R. from PUCL-K pointed out that the Bengaluru police had threatened to file FIRs against anyone hoisting the Palestinian flag. “The Israeli government banned the Palestinian flag and even the watermelon, as it contains the colors of the flag, turning it into a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Today, we distribute watermelons here as a response to the threats we received,” she said.
Addressing the gathering, Sachin from AISA spoke about imperialism's role in the ongoing conflicts, pointing to Israel’s attacks on multiple Middle Eastern countries. “Despite the devastating loss of lives, Palestinians continue to resist. The Karnataka Police’s fear of the Palestinian flag only exposes their support for a genocidal state,” he remarked.
Shrilakshmi from Students for People’s Democracy expressed concern over the attacks on educational institutions in Gaza and called for increased student solidarity. “The Indian government has clamped down on voices of solidarity across universities in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru,” she said.
Other speakers echoed similar sentiments, condemning India’s military collaborations with Israel and urging the government to take a stronger stance against the ongoing violence. Prakash from CPI(M) criticized the shift in India’s policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing India’s increased military cooperation with Israel, including the controversial Pegasus spyware deal.
Yusuf Kanni from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Karnataka condemned the widespread loss of lives and humanitarian crises faced by Palestinians and neighboring countries. He called for a complete academic and cultural boycott of all state-run Israeli institutions.
Representatives of the protest group issued a set of demands, including a complete embargo on Israel akin to India’s boycott of apartheid South Africa, the withdrawal of Indian workers from Israel, and an end to all military and surveillance technology collaborations with Israeli companies.
The protestors called for an immediate cessation of ties with Israeli institutions, termination of training programs involving Indian police and security forces, and an end to joint operations.
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Pune, Feb 10 (PTI): Amidst high drama, former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant’s son Rishiraj was brought back to Pune along with two friends on late Monday evening, cutting short their trip to Bangkok, hours after police filed a kidnapping case, officials said.
According to Ranjan Kumar Sharma, joint commissioner of police, Rishiraj Sawant (32) and his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok without informing his family, but an anonymous phone call spoilt their travel plans.
After police registered a kidnapping case following the anonymous call made to the control room, his whereabouts were traced and he was brought back to Pune along with his friends, he said at a hurriedly convened press conference.
"Our police control room received a call around 4 pm in which an anonymous caller informed us that Rishiraj was taken away by some unidentified people. Accordingly, we swung into action and registered a kidnapping offence.
"During the probe, it was revealed Rishiraj along with his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok. We tracked the flight and contacted the airline for the aircraft's return. The flight has now returned to Pune with three passengers, including Rishiraj," informed Sharma.
"We will enquire and find out the purpose of his trip to Bangkok and why he did not inform the family about his travel plans," the police officer said.
While replying to a question, Tanaji Sawant, who was present at the police briefing, denied any dispute with his son.
According to police sources, the flight to the Thailand capital was booked for Rs 78 lakh.
The former minister said he contacted police after coming to know his son had left for the airport with friends without informing the family.
A week ago, Rishiraj Sawant had gone to Dubai, but this trip was known to family members, said the senior politician.
Asked about the police machinery going into an overdrive to trace his son and bring him back, the former minister maintained was worried as a father.
Joint commissioner of police Sharma said the anonymous call indicated Rishiraj Sawant was taken away by unidentified people and on that basis, an FIR of kidnapping was registered.
The IPS officer opined that in such cases, things do not proceed unless an FIR is registered and that is why police moved quickly and filed an offence.