Man In Agra Arrested For ‘Waving Palestinian Flag’ During Muharram Procession

The Agra police arrested a man for allegedly waving the Palestinian flag during a Muharram procession on July 6.

Aman Khan, a 22-year-old, was arrested on Sunday after a video that showed him waving the Palestinian flag emerged on social media. The 33-second video evidently showed Khan waving the flag during the procession, even as people were seen asking him to stop.

“The procession took place on Saturday night in Nagla Faturi Ghat near the Yamuna Bridge crossing, which falls under the limits of Etmadullah police station in Agra,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Piyoosh Rai to The Indian Express.

The ACP said that the accused appeared to be unaware of the seriousness of his actions. “He told us that he picked up the flag after seeing many flags lying around. He was arrested after some tension developed in the area,” he added.

The accused was arrested under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 170 (arrest to prevent commission of cognisable offences) and 126 (breach of peace).

Devendra Dubey, Station House Officer (SHO), Etmadullah police station, said the accused works as a gardener. “His actions could have caused a law and order situation and could have disrupted communal harmony in the town,” the SHO said.

Earlier in July 2024, seven people were arrested in Agra for allegedly raising pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans during a Muharram procession in the Fatehpur Sikri locality. The arrests were made after a video of the alleged incident went viral on social media platforms.