Pro-Palestine rally organisers, participants in Kashmir’s Budgam booked for allegedly disturbing law and order

A case was registered on Friday against the organisers and participants of a procession in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district for allegedly disturbing law and order by raising objectionable slogans.

The case pertains to the organisers and participants of a Youm-e-Quds procession in Sonpah village, Beerwah, in central Kashmir, according to a police spokesperson.

Youm-e-Quds, also known as Quds Day or International Quds Day, is an annual event observed on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan. The day is marked by pro-Palestine demonstrations aimed at expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

According to the police spokesperson, during the procession in Sonpah village, a large crowd assembled under the direction of the organisers and raised objectionable slogans, which led to concerns over law and order.

The organisers, through their sloganeering, allegedly attempted to create a law-and-order situation and obstructed the Sonpah-Beerwah road, causing disruptions for the public, the spokesperson added.

He mentioned that the police took immediate cognisance of the incident and registered a case under sections 126(2) and 189(6) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Beerwah police station.

The investigation is ongoing, and necessary legal actions will be taken against those involved, the spokesperson stated.

The police have also urged citizens to maintain peace and avoid actions that could disturb public order.

In September 2024, hundreds of protesters had rallied in Kashmir, denouncing the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, with top politicians suspending their campaigning for the assembly elections.

Protesters took to the streets, held up pictures of the Lebanese leader, and chanted slogans like, “Oh martyrs of Palestine, we are with you!” They raised signs and banners condemning Israel and the United States.

Former chief minister and president of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti had cancelled her campaign for the final stage of voting in solidarity.