Karnataka minister defends holding Palestinian flag amid BJP criticism
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Karnataka's Housing and Minority Welfare Minister, Zameer Ahmed Khan, has defended the display of the Palestinian flag, arguing that there is nothing wrong with it given India's longstanding support for the Palestinian cause.
His comments follow the sighting of Palestinian flags during Milad-ul-Nabi processions in Chitradurga, Davanagere, and Kolar districts earlier this week.
Khan questioned the BJP's outrage over the issue, asking, "The central government itself has expressed support for Palestine, so why is the BJP making this a big deal?"
He clarified that while slogans in favour of another country are unacceptable and should be treated as treason, merely holding a flag is not wrong. Khan also noted that the display of Palestinian flags increased after India's declaration of support for a sovereign Palestinian state last year, suggesting that if India had not backed Palestine, people would not be waving these flags.
In a separate incident, six minors were detained in Chikkamagaluru after a video showed them riding two-wheelers with Palestinian flags, according to PTI reports.