New Delhi: A Delhi Police sub-inspector has been suspended and disciplinary action has been initiated against him after he was seen in a viral video kicking Muslim men offering namaz by the side of a busy road in Delhi’s Inderlok area.
The video, which has sparked outrage online, shows the in-charge of the police post in the area, Manoj Tomar, kicking two men from behind when they were offering namaz and were in sajda (a position of prostration). It is said that the men ended up performing namaz on the road because the mosque next to it was filled to its capacity. In another video in circulation, the cop was also seen shoving the men who tried to talk to the cop.
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 normalised and we, along with locals, have asked people to maintain law and order in the area,” he said, according to The Times of India.
Soon after the incident, some men there tried to road in protest. Some of them even moved towards Inderlok metro station to stage a protest. Condemning Friday’s incident on his official X handle, DCP (Northeast) Delhi Joy Tirkey urged people to maintain communal harmony. Police said security in the area has been beefed up to ensure no untoward incident takes place and patrolling in other districts, especially ones that are communally-sensitive, has been increased.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani wrote a letter to the Union home minister, Amit Shah, stating such incidents “not only deepen a significant trust deficit but also tarnish the country’s global reputation”. He emphasised the “lasting psychological impact on the Muslim community when law enforcement becomes the perpetrator”.
