India, July 26 -- "Why don't you do something for our own country? Be patriots," the Bombay High Court said on Friday while dismissing a petition filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), seeking permission to hold a "peaceful protest" at Azad Maidan against the "genocide in Gaza".

Stating that the political party needs to focus on issues in its own country, a division bench of justices Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad added, "Speaking for Gaza and Palestine is not patriotism."

The party had approached the high court on July 10, claiming that the Mumbai police had refused it permission to hold a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan to condemn the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

According to the petition, some members of the CPI (M), under ...