British Nationals Asked to Leave India for Pro-Palestine Activism on Tourist Visa

Two British nationals, who were visiting Pushkar in Rajasthan on a tourist visa, were asked to leave India for displaying pro-Palestine posters and stickers around town. Pushkar is known to be popular among Israeli travellers and has numerous Jewish religious centres, prompting the probe due to the sensitivity of the matter. The two British nationals, both in their 30s, apologised to the authorities but were asked to exit India as soon as possible as political activities are prohibited on a tourist visa. According to Rajasthan police, the criminal investigation department (CID) issued “leave India" notices to the pair on Monday (February 2) for allegedly displaying pro-Palestine stickers and posters in public areas, an act deemed a violation of tourist visa regulations. An investigation was launched after reports emerged on January 21 that stickers with messages such as ‘Free Palestine, Boycott Israel’ had started appearing across town. Police said a CID team subsequently traced the activity to the two British nationals. The tourists, who had travelled to Pushkar from New Delhi, had violated the conditions of their tourist visas that strictly prohibit engagement in political activism. The Indian Express reported that additional superintendent of police (CID) Rajesh Meena said activities that show disrespect or hostility towards other nations while staying in India breaches visa norms. “The tourists had come here on a tourist visa in January. They had come to Pushkar directly from Delhi. Since Pushkar has a lot of Israelis and also has a Chabad House (a synagogue), the tourists condemned Israel in the context of the Palestine-Israel conflict and pasted posters on the walls here. Our CID investigated and brought them in for questioning," Meena told IE . The report said the tourists offered an apology for their actions but police maintained that because they entered the country on tourist visas, they were prohibited from indulging in such political activities. The police found that the duo had obtained nine sheets of printed posters from a local press to paste onto walls. Police served the tourists official notices under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, directing them to depart the country immediately to avoid further legal consequences. The Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) in Ajmer has asked them to leave “at the earliest", and the tourists have since informed officials that they are currently booking their return tickets. Officials said no formal complaints were received from tourists in connection with the stickers. After the CID’s intervention, the stickers were removed from public places. Checks were also conducted in areas frequented by foreign tourists to ensure no similar material was displayed, they added. (With PTI inputs)