Three individuals have been arrested for allegedly disrupting an anti-terrorism protest held in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, according to PTI reports.
The Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police registered a case against the trio on charges related to provocation, attempted disturbance of public peace, and hurting religious sentiments. The arrests were made on Saturday by officials from the Nala Sopara police station.
According to the police, a man was peacefully staging a protest in Nala Sopara against the recent terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 25, when the three accused arrived at the location. The protester was using a Pakistani flag as a symbol to condemn terrorism, when the trio intervened, questioning the use of the flag during the demonstration.
Despite the protester’s attempts to explain that the flag was being used solely to symbolise opposition to terrorism and not in support of Pakistan, the accused allegedly forcibly removed the flag. As per PTI, they engaged in a heated argument with the protest organiser and allegedly hurled verbal abuse at him.
Following the disruption, the police took swift action and filed a case against the three under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The sections invoked include 152 (act endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
The protest itself was part of a wider wave of demonstrations across the country expressing outrage over the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, including several tourists. Mumbai police have also identified at least 17 Pakistani nationals residing in the city. These individuals have now been issued exit permits to leave the country, following directives from the central government.
This move targets Pakistani nationals who had entered India on short-term and tourist visas. Officials confirmed that exit permits are being enforced as part of tightened security measures prompted by the devastating terrorist assault in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region.
The recent Pahalgam terror attack, which took place near the scenic Baisaran meadow around 2 pm on April 22, has been described as one of the most horrific in the region since the 2019 Pulwama incident, where 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives. The brutality of the Pahalgam attack, which also claimed the life of a Nepalese national, has reignited public outrage and led to widespread protests across India, with citizens demanding strong retaliatory measures against Pakistan.
(With inputs from PTI)
