Delhi Cop Kicks Muslim Man Offering Namaz on Road
A Delhi sub-inspector kicked a couple of muslim men while they were offering namaz on the road outside the mosque in Delhi’s Inderlok area. The video of the same has gone viral on social media.
Recently, United Nations (UN) experts officially urged the Indian government to protect the religious rights of minorities and prohibit the advocacy of hate crimes in the country. But, just a day after the suggestion, a video of a shocking incident in Delhi’s Inderlok area went viral on social media and sparked outrage. It all happened on Friday, the 8th March 2024 at around 2pm. A large crowd gathered at a mosque in the Inderlok area for Friday namaz. As a result, the mosque got overcrowded and several men decided to offer the prayers on the road outside the mosque. During the prayers, a few police officials arrived at the spot and attempted to disperse the crowd. One of the officials was the police post in-charge of the Inderlok area, sub-inspector Manoj Tomar. He kicked two men from behind while they were in sajda (a position of prostration) during their namaz on the road. He first kicks one man in the back, and then kicks another and slaps him on his neck. The second man continues to pray despite the kick, and a third man tries to stop Tomar, but he violently argues with him. The same was recorded in a video and shared on social media. Tomar’s action sparked huge outrage in the crowd. Several local residents & those worshiping inside the mosque immediately surrounded him, confronted him & objected to his actions. The road was blocked for over two hours and some men even moved towards Inderlok metro station to stage a protest. According to a local blanket seller of the area, Mohammed Salauddin the video only captured Tomar kicking 2 people but he assaulted at least 5 men. To control the heating situation, other police officials reached the spot and took Tomar away. The viral video received mixed responses with some condemning Tomar’s actions against the innocent civilians praying on the road and others questioning the need & urgency of offering prayers on a heavy-traffic road. However, maximum social media users have heavily criticized Tomar for his action. Head of one of the groups of the Jamiat (an Islamic council or assembly)Maulana Mahmood Madani strongly criticized Tomar’s action and wrote a letter to the Minister of Home Affairs of India, Amit Shah to immediately terminate Tomar for his “hate-filled action”. Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police (north) MK Meena officially acknowledged the viral video and started an official inquiry against Tomar. MK Meena has also suspended Tomar until further notice, assured the public that necessary action will be taken in the matter and requested them to maintain peace in the area. The Delhi police also increased the security in Inderlok because the video received lakhs of views in just hours and according to them “has the potential to create law and order issues”. Is offering prayer on a busy road, right? And even if it is against the law, sub-inspector Tomar couldn’t have handled the situation peacefully? What do you think? Tell us in the comments!
