– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi, March 9: Outraged over the incident of Delhi Police personnel kicking and assaulting men who were offering namaz in Delhi’s Inderlok on Friday, Muslim groups called it a shameful and Islamophobic act. They demanded stern action against the guilty policemen who were suspended by the Delhi police. As a purported video of the incident went viral, the police post in-charge of Inderpuri was suspended with immediate effect.
In the video, the two officials are seen kicking and slapping the men offering prayers on the road. One head constable, followed by another, can be seen shouting at the men, telling them to get up and leave the area.
While strongly condemning the incident, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, led by President Maulana Mahmood Madani, wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to take notice of such shameful incidents that tarnish the image of the country.
In the letter, he underlined the lasting psychological impact on the Muslim community when law enforcement becomes the perpetrator, particularly the brutality faced by individuals engaged in prayers. As guardians of law and order, the police must uphold their duty and exercise caution when dealing with religious matters to avoid exacerbating the trust deficit and global reputation damage.
He urged immediate termination of the police officer responsible for the hate-filled actions.
Maulana Madani expressed concern about the alarming anti-Muslim atmosphere in Delhi, aggravated not only by anti-social elements but also exacerbated by the involvement of state machinery, including the police. He demanded directives from law enforcement agencies to prioritize the safety and security of all citizens, regardless of their religious background, emphasizing the importance of protecting lives and liberties over taking matters into their own hands.
Echoing same sentiments, All India Milli Council also strongly condemned the police officer kicking worshipers during Friday prayers. The council general secretary, Dr. Manzoor Alam, said the incident reflects that police personnel were also being communalized because of the ongoing demonization and hatred-filled campaign run by the ruling party’s affiliates and cohorts.
Dr. Alam said this incident is a disgrace to India’s democracy and will cause infamy all over the world. The Milli Council demanded that, apart from dismissing guilty policemen, severe punishment should be given to them and Islamophobia should be banned so that no police officer commits such a crime in the future.
