Fort Kochi police in Ernakulam have registered a case against two Jewish women of Australian origin for destroying pro-Palestine posters. Under Section 153 of the IPC, Shilanziya and another lady were charged for indulging in creating a rivalry between two groups using provocations that might lead to rioting.

Kochi City Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) K R Manoj clarified that the young women would be under police surveillance at their homestay in Fort Kochi. They will be produced in court if necessary.

The footage of the incident, which took place on Monday evening, was widely circulated on social media. It showed two Jewish guests standing next to torn pro-Palestinian posters. The foreigners alleged that the boards were insulting to the Jewish people.

Students Islamic Organization (SIO), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, put up the pro-Palestine posters there. These male students also argued with the two lady guests, and nobody bothered to interfere. (Jews settled in Bharat (especially Cochin) before the current era.)

The SIO hustlers started by booing and then turned menacingly against the girls. The mob forced the foreigners to pick up the torn pieces of posters. When the guest tried to explain, the aggressors shouted, “We don’t care”.

One Jewish guest stood up, while the other seemed affected by the aggression and looked disheartened. The brave one informed the aggressors of racist propaganda and lies (that their posters of support for Palestine had created).

The young woman argued with the locals, saying that she tore up the pro-Palestine posters for the Jews. She asked whether making money from Jewish tourists was right. When reminded of the numbers, she informed them that three million Muslims live with Israeli Arabs. (Muslims constitute around 20% of Israel’s population.)

SIO workers complained about the woman to the local police. At dusk on Tuesday, SIO activists took to the streets and protested before the police station even after midnight, demanding a case be filed. Finally, the police registered a case against a complaint filed by the SIO Kochi area secretary, Muhammad Azeem KS.

Local police informed the media that the controversial banners were erected at the beach during the new year. SIO did not have permits for the display. Police said that the local self-government should remove such unauthorised posters. Both the Cochin Corporation Mayor and the Deputy are communist candidates.

The incident also led to extensive social media discussions. Local media tried to point out that there is a rule that visitors arriving on tourist visas should never participate in such protests. That was the media’s justification to favour the Islamist fundamentalists. Others claimed that the foreigners were under the influence of alcohol and that they did not destroy the banners with any ‘special intention.’

Our central government has made it amply clear that Bharat stands with Israel against the terror tactics adopted by some Palestinians led by their terrorist outfit, Hamas. Jewish tourists flock to Bharat since they consider our country safe. It is feared that such incidents over land with nothing to do with our country might destroy Kerala’s fragile tourism economy.