The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) challenging the Mumbai Police’s refusal to grant permission for a protest against Israel’s war on Gaza, Live Law reported.

A division bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad urged the party to “be patriots” and focus on domestic concerns rather than international affairs.

“Our country has enough issues,” Bar and Bench quoted the court as saying. “We don't want anything like this. I am sorry to say, you are all short-sighted. You are looking at issues in Gaza and Palestine. Look at your own country.”

The judges asked the CPI(M) to instead address local civic problems such as “garbage dumping, pollution, sewerage, flooding”, Bar and Bench reported.

The court also cautioned that protests on sensitive foreign issues like Gaza could trigger diplomatic repercussions.

“You don’t know the dust it could kick up... getting on to the Palestine side or the Israel side,” the court said. “Why do you want to do this? It’s obvious, going by the party you represent that you don’t understand what this could do to the foreign affairs of the country.”

Advocate Mihir Desai, representing the petitioner, argued that the petition was about the right to free speech and peaceful assembly, Live Law reported.

Desai also highlighted that CPI(M) had been active in public service, including organising health and education camps.

The bench, however, noted that the Supreme Court has recently observed that the right to free speech is being misused, Live Law reported.

While rejecting the plea, the bench also pointed out that the original application to hold the protest at Azad Maidan had been filed by the All India Peace and Solidarity Foundation, not the CPI(M). The court said that the party’s petition was untenable as it challenged the rejection of the application filed by the All India Peace and Solidarity Foundation.

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023 after Palestinian militant group Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then, leaving more than 61,000 persons dead.

Tel Aviv has also enforced a severe blockade on humanitarian aid, which UN officials say has brought the population to the verge of famine.