MUMBAI, July 26 -- "Why don't you do something for our own country? Be patriots," the 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 court on July 10, claiming the Mumbai police had refused permission for the peaceful protest. According to the petition, some members of the CPI (M), under the banner of All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO), approached the Azad Maidan police station on June 13 to seek permission for the protest, being organised by representatives of various parties and civil society groups. But the police allegedly denied their request, saying various political, social, and religious organisations had raised objections to it, raising concerns of an adverse law and order situation. On June 18, police personnel also visited the homes of certain CPI (M) members who were organising the protests and detained them, the petition said. They were physically prevented from entering Azad Maidan, and around 30 people were detained at the Yellow Gate police station, it added. Senior advocate Mihir Desai, representing the political party, argued that the country's citizens have the right to protest at a designated place. He contended that even if the protest was against the country's foreign policy, the possibility of a law and order situation could not be used to deny such rights to the citizens. However, the court rejected the plea, stating that the political party should focus on its own country rather than on issues thousands of miles away....