Namazis kicked in Delhi: Jamiat condemns incident, urges Shah to terminate police officer’s service

PTI, Mar 9, 2024, 9:00 AM IST

PTI photo (for representation)

New Delhi: Condemning the incident of a Delhi Police sub-inspector kicking a few people offering namaz on a road in north Delhi, prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday to terminate the services of the officer.

Sub-Inspector Manoj Kumar Tomar of the Delhi Police shoved and kicked a few people offering namaz on a road in north Delhi’s Inderlok area on Friday, leading to a protest by hundreds of locals against the force, which suspended the official with immediate effect.

People from various sections of the society, including political leaders, condemned the act of the sub-inspector after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The incident took place during a Friday prayer around 2 pm near the Inderlok metro station. The act of the policeman was captured on camera and the video has since gone viral on social media platforms.

Maulana Mahmood Madani, who heads a faction of the Jamiat, strongly condemned the police officer’s physical attack on people praying.

In a letter to Shah, Madani pointed out that 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 officials become perpetrators of such acts.

In his letter to Shah, Madani urged for the immediate termination of the services of the police officer responsible for the ‘hate-filled actions’.

He asserted that Tomar’s conduct reflects a deep-seated Islamophobic attitude influenced by communal forces.

Madani also expressed concern about the alarming ‘anti-Muslim environment’ in Delhi.