A video of a Delhi police officer going viral on social media, shows the officer assaulting a group of Muslim men offering namaz on the road in the Inderlok area of north Delhi. On Friday, the incident occurred and sparked public outrage on social media, questioning cops’ impunity in the national Capital.
Delhi Cop assaults Muslim men
According to reports, at around 2 pm, a large crowd had gathered at a local mosque for Friday prayer. Due to the lack of space inside the mosque, some individuals started performing prayers on the road near the mosque.
To disperse the large crowd of worshipers, Delhi police officers arrived near the metro station. In the captured video, sub-inspector Manoj Kumar Tumar is seen kicking and hitting Muslim men who were kneeling for namaz.
The crowd immediately reacted and gathered around the police officer, expressing strong opposition to his actions. The police officer is suspended for three months.
Inquiry Order, Cop Suspended
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) M K Meena has assured that an inquiry has been initiated after the incident. DCP stated that the police officer involved in the incident has been suspended with immediate effect and disciplinary action also be taken.
Meanwhile, police security has been set up in the Inderlok area as the video went viral and has got lakhs of views. Another video from the area showed police personnel deployed there to maintain law and order as a crowd gathered on the road.
Public Outrage
Internet is divided over the viral video, some condemned the action of the police officer while others questioned the offering of prayer in public places as it may cause trouble to others. But largely people are outraged calling the action of the police officer against innocent Muslim men, shameful, insensitive and naked authoritarianism.
One user drew a parallel between this incident of Delhi police assaulting praying Muslim men and an old video of an Israeli soldier kicking Palestinian Muslims in Jerusalem.
Another person questioned the effect of actions faced by the cop, as he was suspended only for three months while Muslim teens falsely accused of spitting on a Hindu professor in Ujjain spent five months in jail and their homes were demolished. Other Muslims reacted reasonably, stating, ‘shouldn’t cause trouble to others while offering namaz’.
Political leaders such as Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgupta and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also criticized the action of the police officer. AIMIM president said such incidents show the hatred this country has for Muslims, and called it disrespectful to kick men in ‘sajda’, added that it is very hurtful that such things happen again and again.
Spread of False Information
Some people on X shared posts with false claims and misleading information about the incident and Muslim men by saying some men the spotted wearing burkhas, raising suspicion.
A user named Mr Sinha (Modi’s family) with a blue tick on platform X, wrote, “This is serious and makes this incident even more suspicious. What was a man doing in Burqa at that place? A deep investigation is needed.”
Fact checker Mohammed Zubair confirmed that the man was not wearing a Burkha or Hijab, and it was a prayer mat (Janamaz) the man was carrying.
“I hope Delhi police takes action against hate and rumor mongers trying their best to create unrest by sharing misleading claims of people in Burka etc,” Zubair wrote on X.
Also READ : Women’s Day: PM Modi announces price reduction of LPG cylinder, women call it sexist