A massive pro-Palestine demonstration took place in Khammam on August 7, where Communist parties, Muslim minority organisations, and local Congress and BRS leaders joined forces to protest against Israel’s strikes on Gaza and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support for Israel.
The rally, which began at Pavilion Ground and proceeded to Ambedkar Centre in Khammam, saw hundreds of participants carrying placards, waving Indian and Palestinian flags, and shouting slogans such as “Save Gaza” and “Stop the violence immediately.”
The event, said to have been organised by the Palestine Solidarity Committee, saw huge participation from school and college-going students. It was driven by private schools associated with Communist-leaning managements, which coordinated closely with minority leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, SIO, and other groups. Around 10 large schools like and 15 smaller institutions reportedly sent students, with nearly 100 buses ferrying participants from Muslim-majority areas.
The most disturbing allegation, according to eyewitnesses, was that Hindu schoolgirls were forced to wear burkhas to enact “victims of Palestine” in street plays. Muslim women staged displays with dolls wrapped as dead bodies in the shape of small children, shown as if injured or killed, to dramatise the violence in Gaza, a “sinister design”, locals say, to normalise religious imagery in political protests.
Speakers at the event claimed that two million people in Gaza were living in miserable conditions, accused Israel of blocking humanitarian aid, and alleged that hospitals, schools, and homes were being bombed, killing doctors, children, and the elderly. They demanded that Modi reverse his stance in favour of Israel and that immediate aid be sent to Gaza.
Is this Education or Brainwashing students??
In Khammam schools are organizing rallies in support of Palestine.
Education minister Revanth Reddy shut down those schools permanently to stop this crime against young minds.#CongressfailedTelangana pic.twitter.com/R2QViF9IZa
— Akula Srivani – Lady Singham (@akula_srivani) August 8, 2025
Locals allege, however, that the organisers did not utter a word about the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, nor did they touch on the global geopolitics or the historical context of the war. Instead, they accuse the organisers of simply brainwashing innocent school and college students with religiously charged narratives centred on Gaza and Israel.
On July 25, the Bombay High Court rejected a petition filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) against Mumbai Police’s refusal to allow a protest against the alleged genocide in Gaza. The court advised the party to focus on domestic issues, remarking: “Be patriots. Speak up for causes in our own country instead of Gaza… You are looking at issues in Gaza and Palestine. Look at your own country.”
Despite the court observations on Communists, huge participation of leaders from CPI(ML) Mass Line, CPI, CPM, MAN, New Democracy, Congress, and BRS was noted. The attendees included CPI(ML) State Secretary Potu Ranga Rao; CPI’s Azeez Isha and Dandi Suresh; CPM’s Nunna Nageswara Rao and Vikram; Congress leader Shekhar Goud; BRS Town President Naga Raju; former Library Chairman Khamar; Jamaat-e-Islami Hind District President Jainul Pasha; and Mohammed Ilyas.
People of Khammam come out in large numbers in solidarity with Gaza 🇵🇸🇮🇳🇵🇸🇮🇳🇵🇸🇮🇳🇵🇸🇮🇳#FREEPALESTINEFROMZIONISM pic.twitter.com/7jJrWSJL0L
— Indians for Palestine (@Hind4Palestine) August 8, 2025
Private educational representatives such as Muvva Srinivasa Rao, Ravi Maruth, Kantha Rao, Veera Reddy, Sheshagiri, and Matin also joined the protest, alongside IMA President Kambhampati Narayana Rao, GV Jagadish, Dr Gopinath, Ravinder, and local lawyers.
Over 20,000 people gathered in Khammam in a massive rally led by Political JAC, Muslim minority organisations, and various public associations — all united in solidarity with Palestine.
A clear and bold message to Israel and its backers like the US:
The people of India reject… pic.twitter.com/d4zaty93SP— Janipasha shaik (@Janipashashaik_) August 7, 2025
Khammam district has a long history of Communists and Maoist influence, with Koonamneni Sambasiva Rao, the sole MLA from CPI in Telangana, elected from this region with the support of Communist networks. Its proximity to Chhattisgarh and Maoist-affected forest areas makes it one of the most accessible hubs for such activity.
Telangana: Khammam Tiranga Yatra disrupted as Muslim bikers challenge rally, spark clash
Via: @eOrganiser#Telangana #TirangaYatra https://t.co/gmrP5YzzVc
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) May 20, 2025
Locals allege that the schools association and its key members are communists, with a history of protesting against Operation Khagar in Khammam, and that during the Tiranga Yatra, as part of Operation Sindoor, objections were raised by local Muslim groups.
