An outer view of Bombay High Court in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Mumbai police on August 12, 2025, informed the Bombay High Court that it has agreed to allow the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], to hold a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, condemning the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “The protest will be held on August 20, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., for the protesters to express their thoughts on the genocide purportedly occurring in Gaza,” the police told the Division Bench of justices, Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad.
Additional Public Prosecutor S.C. Gavand told the court that the protest must comply with the legal requirements and be confined to the designated demonstration area. Representing the petitioners, Senior Advocate Mihir Desai assured the Bench that the organisers will adhere to the draft regulations under the Maharashtra Police Act, which require organisers to ensure the event remains orderly and confined to designated protest areas and said, “I hope neither of us comes back on the 21st.”
On Monday (August 11, 2025), Mr. Desai had informed the court that the Pune police gave permission last week to hold a similar protest. To this, the court asked the APP to check if the protest can be allowed with some conditions in place to ensure law and order in the city. on Tuesday, after hearing that the permission is granted, the court disposed of the petition.
The CPI(M) on X, shared, “The permission by #MumbaiPolice to CPI(M) and acceptance of #BombayHighCourt to hold peaceful protest against ongoing genocide in #Gaza by Israel vindicated the correctness of CPI(M) stand and nullifies Court’s own earlier ill remarks and earlier anti-democratic refusal of Police.”
On July 25, 2025, the same Bench dismissed the CPI(M)’s petition and sharply criticized the party for concentrating on international events over domestic concerns. “Our country has enough issues. Look at your own country. Be patriots. This is not patriotism,” the Bench noted, urging the political party to prioritize citizen-centric issues like garbage disposal, pollution, drainage, and flooding instead of distant geopolitical conflicts.
Following the court’s observation, the CPI(M) released a press note the same evening, “The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns the observations of the Bombay High Court Bench while rejecting an application by the party to challenge the Mumbai Police’s refusal to allow a protest action against the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza. Ironically, the Bench appears to be unaware of either the provisions of the Constitution which enshrines the rights of a political party, or the history of our country and our people’s solidarity with the Palestinians and their legitimate right to homeland. The observations smack of distinct political bias in line with the Central government.”
CPI(M) had submitted multiple applications in June to hold a protest at Azad Maidan but all of them were rejected by police on grounds that the issue was international and could complicate law and order situations.
Published – August 13, 2025 07:12 am IST
