Hyderabad Police have arrested a youth for pulling down the Israeli flag displayed by the Telangana government in the heart of the city at Tank Bund, as part of the Miss World pageant celebrations. Mohammed Zakir removed the flag twice to express solidarity with Palestine. After the incident was brought to the notice of the city police and Commissioner CV Anand, he was apprehended. The act of removing the flag was also put up on social media, following which several netizens alerted the police.

The state government had hoisted flags of various nations in front of the State Secretariat, at Tank Bund, as part of the Miss World pageant currently being held in the city. Zakir had removed the Israeli flag for the first time on 12 May. The state government had again put up the flag. On 16 May, when Zakir again pulled down the flag, the video was also put on Instagram. The video went viral. This prompted several people, particularly from right-wing groups, to tag the Hyderabad Police and the Commissioner of Police, seeking action against Zakir under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPPA), claiming that Israel was a friendly nation. They pointed out that since the flag was put up by the government, it was indeed a case fit for PDPPA. Several people who support the Palestinian cause also shared the video.

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Responding to the complaints, Hyderabad Police announced on their ‘X’ handle that the individual responsible for pulling down the flag has been booked. “Following the disrespectful act of removing the national (Israel) flag, Hyderabad police have taken swift action. The Station House Officer of Saifabad Police Station has registered two cases under Crime No. 138/2025 and 141/2025, and the accused has been arrested. Further investigation is underway,” the Hyderabad Police posted.