A Delhi Police officer was seen kicking and berating Muslims civilians offering Friday prayers in the Inderlok area of Indian capital, as seen in a bizarre video circulating on the internet.
The Delhi Police Sub-Inspector, identified as Manoj Kumar Tomar, has been suspended on accounts of disciplinary action, after his video of enticing religious hatred towards Muslims went viral.
The video shows Tomar kicking two men from behind whilst they were offering prayers and shoved numerous others who tried to stop him. The men were forced because the mosque has reached its capacity.
According to The Times of India, Deputy commissioner of police (North) Manoj Meena said action has been taken against Tomar. “He has been placed under suspension with immediate effect and we are taking disciplinary action against him. The situation has been normalized and we, along with locals, have asked people to maintain law and order in the area,” Meena said in a statement.
Delhi Police act receives massive condemnation
DCP (Northeast) Delhi Joy Tirkey condemned the horrible incident on his official X handle.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani wrote a letter to the Union home minister, Amit Shah, condemning the incident and noted that not only such mishaps “deepen a significant trust deficit but also tarnish the country’s global reputation”. Madani highlighted the “lasting psychological impact on the Muslim community when law enforcement becomes the perpetrator,” as reported by The Independent.
Indian media outlets suggest that Tomar reportedly approached the lot of men “about 10 minutes after prayer” had started and began his misdemeanor.
“We were not blocking the road… only a narrow pathway beside the mosque was being used to read the namaz, and traffic was flowing smoothly as it does every Friday,” one of the devotees told The Indian Express.
The Delhi unit of India’s largest opposition party Congress called the officer’s action “shameful”. “What could be more shameful than this?” Delhi Congress stated in a post on platform X.
Expressing their regret over the terrible incident, the deputy commissioner of police North East Delhi shared on X, “The people of North-East district have always supported the police in maintaining law and order. We condemn the Inderlok incident. Strict instructions have been given to all police personnel in light of this incident.”
“We call on the people to maintain communal harmony and not pay heed to rumors,” the DCP added.
