RW Mob Attacked BDS Peaceful Protest in Pune: Indian People in Solidarity With Palestine

New Delhi: The Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine (IPSP), a country-wide forum in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle, which is running a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign in the country in solidarity with the global BDS movement, has condemned the attack and disruption by Right-wing elements of their peaceful protest in support of Palestine held in Pune.

In a press statement, the forum, which has been holding protests in various Indian cities, alleged that at their protest in Karve Nagar, Pune on May 10, calling for boycott of Domino’s Pizza for its support to Israel, was attacked by men led by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mahesh Pawale. They also accused the police of “protecting” the RW men, who are now “spreading a malicious propaganda online”.

“We declare that it is our fundamental democratic right to protest against genocide and occupation of Palestine. BDS will not cow down to the threats of the hooligans, and fascist goons!”, read a press statement by the forum.

Read the full statement below:

Press Release Date: 12 May 2025

Statement on Disruption of Peaceful Pro-Palestine Protest and Attack by BJP Goons on activists in Pune and condemnation of the baseless charges being spread by BJP.

On 10th May, the forum “Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine” conducted country-wide protest demonstrations against Domino’s Pizza for its complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. One of the demonstrations was held at the Domino’s outlet in Karve Nagar, Pune. Volunteers were peacefully distributing our pamphlets which are open for everyone to see.

Our positions are fully consistent with the overwhelming opinion of the world democratic community, and the historical stand of India in support of the Freedom for Palestine. India was one of the countries that even opposed the creation of Israel on stolen land of Palestine in 1948.

After our campaign started a group of 10-15 people gathered and started debating us, and we were patiently explaining to them the myths they harbor about Palestine. However, led by BJP leaders Mahesh Pavale, and Sagar Dhame a mob of 50-100 people gathered in no time and started assaulting the participants.

The police who had arrived stood by for some time and only later they took 4 of us away. Women participants were assaulted, threatened with rape and murder, and clothes were torn. In the police station they took our written complaint but refused to give us the acknowledgement. However in order to protect the BJP politicians the police kept pressuring us to withdraw our complaint which we refused.

Finally the police said that they are not registering any FIR and we can go, but we insisted on MLC being done and only on our insistence we were taken in Police Van to Sasoon Hospital. However, as soon as we reached Sasoon, the police left us. We got our MLC done by ourselves, and reached back the Karve Nagar Police Chowky where a small group of the hooligans was still present with just one police person.

Considering this as a safety risk, we decided to return back on 11th May morning. On this day, Swapnaja had to try for 5 hours to get the complaint filed and after denying that we had filed any complaint on 10th May, and later saying that it was lost, the police gave us acknowledgement only on an old complaint and again refused to accept our new complaint with names of accused. No FIR has been registered against the violent attackers, and that shows the reality of Pune Police.

Pune police is clearly hands in gloves with the BJP politicians and protecting their hooliganism. Just on the basis of the videos being circulated action should have been taken against the very known faces in these videos. A series of videos are being released by BJP's propaganda machinery and IT cell to construct a false narrative about BDS, Pune and BDS in India and “Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine” in general.

We categorically deny all the baseless charges being leveled upon us by the very goons who attacked our peaceful campaign, and we also condemn the efforts of Pune police in protecting them, denying us our fundamental right of even registering an FIR. We categorically deny that we raised any Pakistan Zindabad slogans of which there is no evidence.

We do support the Palestinian national liberation which all justice-loving people do and that has nothing to do with the ideology of Hamas. Only a wave of false propaganda is being created by BJP IT cell.

It is a clear exposure of the BJP’s two-faced nature on the Palestine issue. While the central government and the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, have openly declared that India supports homeland for Palestinians, it is the very same BJP’s rabid workers on ground that are spreading communal hatred and anti-Muslim rhetoric against pro-Palestine solidarity. The RSS-BJP machinery is maliciously vilifying any pro-Palestine resistance by distorting the narrative to further its fascist agenda.

We declare that it is our fundamental democratic right to protest against genocide and occupation of Palestine. BDS will not cow down to the threats of the hooligans, and fascist goons! We will continue our campaign in support of Palestine!

Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine