Delhi Police and The Inderlok Street Namaz Incident

Delhi Police and Islamists had a recent showdown due to Street Namaz. Every resident of Bharat knows that certain radicals use Street Namaz as a way to flex power! Usually, the police and the residents of other communities turn a blind eye to such blatant display of street veto. However, there is a rising menace of unauthorized use of Bharat’s streets by a specific community. New Delhi’s Inderlok area witnessed a similar flex of Islamic identity on its streets. However, this time the police took action and were implicated by radicals for the same.

A viral video shows a policeman kicking radicals to stop them from praying on the busy streets of Inderlok in New Delhi during Jumma Namaz. The incident resulted in a tense atmosphere in the region and the suspension of the cop in question. Moreover, this cropped video has sparked controversy and conversations of divided opinions across social media platforms. Let’s talk about the incident, the captured on video, the social media storm, and the rights of religious expression. 

Delhi Police SI Stops Street Namaz!! 

On a busy Friday afternoon, Delhi Police’s Sub Inspector Manoj Tomar and his men approached a group of radicals that were hell-bent on praying on the streets of Inderlok, New Delhi. He sternly asks them to disperse and not to block the road for their prayers, as they did not have prior permission to do so. Despite the presence of a mosque near them, these radicals ignored the SI’s remarks.

There are four mosques in the Inderlok area, however, these radicals sat down on the road for their Friday prayers.

Was this their way to flex their mob power to do as they wished? Who knows?!!

Their adamant attitude prompted SI Tomar to take forceful action. He physically tried to restrain them from praying without permission. However, the crowd refused to disburse. Other radicals watching from the street started to irk the police for stopping the Street Sajdah and Street Namaz. Unfortunately, their hard-headedness went beyond SI Tomar’s patience, who ultimately kicked those in prayer to make them get up and clear the road.

This act of kicking caused a storm on the streets and on social media.

It fit right into the ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ image!

दिल्ली पुलिस ने अपनी जिम्मेदारी निभाई है और मजहब विशेष के लोगो को यह मानना नही है।

जिस प्रकार मजहब के लोग कानून को ना मानते हुए अपनी मनमानी कर रहे हैं वह दुःखद है।

मे सुनिल शुक्ला दिल्ली पुलिस का समर्थन करता हूँ।।#support_delhi_police pic.twitter.com/BHIDCGcSwz

— Sunil Shukla मोदी का परिवार (@realsunilshukla) March 8, 2024

In the aftermath of the incident, a large Islamist mob tried to beat up the cops at the incident site. Consequently, the Inderlok area was tense battleground of wills while the Inderlok police station was surrounded by protestors. What did the protesters want? They wanted action against the policeman who kicked the people in prayer. However, they seem to forget that those people ignored the Delhi Police’s warnings and purposefully conducted unauthorized street prayers!!! 

Social Media Runs Wild At The Inderlok Incident

People offering Namaz are being kicked by Police. This is absolutely shameful. What message is @DelhiPolice trying to give. @narendramodi @LtGovDelhipic.twitter.com/2rh2bYhBSi

— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) March 8, 2024

To add fuel to the fire, a bystander took a video of the incident and uploaded it on social media. The video was later cropped to show only that cops were kicking Namazis in New Delhi. This cropped version of the video went viral and got a lot of traction from various important ‘toolkit’ agents in Bharat.

This is not a policeman doing his duty. This is a hateful zombie in uniform who’s got the power of the law to insult and punish a human just because his way of worshiping is different from his.

This is the India that BJP has built in last one decade. India is beyond redemption. pic.twitter.com/D4MNp3PrzQ

— Arfa Khanum Sherwani (@khanumarfa) March 8, 2024

Liberals, like Arfa Kahnum and Mohammed Zubair, have condemned the policeman’s actions as excessive and insensitive. Most Islamists on the internet are asking for police action against SI Tomar. Consequently, the Delhi Police has suspended the SI to appease the mobs and control the situation.

It's time to support our Hondu Lion,
He is the only lion left in the second worst police in the country(Delhi police)
And if you lose this too today,
Then you will have to die with the jackals.!
Does anyone have the courage to kick the ass?#IStandWithManojTomar pic.twitter.com/ft40Q9sc83

— 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝𝐢 (@RebellionArtis7) March 8, 2024

However, a deeper look by the netizens revealed a different insight from the original video. Here it was seen that Delhi Police cops were trying to stop these radicals from obstructing traffic. These radicals were repeatedly asked not to sit down to pray. Thereafter,. the video shows that the SI only lost his temper later when all his words were ignored by these Namazis. A small blip in the video also exposes how a radical man wore a burqa in public!!!

Thus, they are questioning if the presence of a man in a burqa on the street namaz was a pre-planned attempt to showcase Police Brutality in Bharat.

Was the incident a planned effort by Islamists to disrupt peace in the area??!!!

Consequently, most netizens now stand in support of the Delhi Police and the SI’s actions. They do not want unauthorized street prayers to inconvenience the public. Thus, they oppose the Islamist’s views and actions on the same. Netizens argue that while religious expression is important, it should not infringe upon the rights and safety of others or disrupt public order. Therefore, many are condemning the suspension of SI Tomar by Delhi Police.

The Question Of Religious Freedom?!?

Clear and loud message for those K2Os who block roads in the name of daily prayers:

Desh ke Ganwaron ko, School bhejo salo ko. 😶 pic.twitter.com/7b6hGvkUfS

— Sunanda Roy 👑 (@SaffronSunanda) March 8, 2024

The debate on the Inderlok Incident continues to rage on all social media platforms. Supporters of radicals want to claim first blood by asking for strict police action against the SI. Contrarily, the slogan of “Desh Ke Gaddaro ko, School Bhejo ____ ko” can be heard in response to radicals’ cry for justice. This slogan aims to imply that educated people do not block road prayers to flex street power!

Bharat’s diversity asks for informed conversations without emotional nonsense. To compare unauthorized Street Namaz to an authorized Kanwariya Procession is just a lack of basic IQ! With a 140 crore population, religious freedom cannot come at the cost of public order. While individuals have the right to practice their faith, they should do it in places of worship; not on the streets for show of power. And definitely not without the authorized consent of the local police or administration.

Such headstrong acts of Street Namaz come at the expense of others’ rights and disrupt public life.

Therefore, law enforcement agencies are authorized to deal with situations as they deem fit.

In conclusion, the Inderlok Street Namaz incident serves as a reminder that respect garners respect! If the Namazis had respected the Delhi Police’s words of not blocking the street, the police would not have disrespected them. The suspension of SI Tomar is an act of mob appeasement. Thus, Delhi Police is urged to conduct an unbiased review of the entire situation and rethink their order. Why? Because, it sets a bad precedent when Delhi Police punishes one of their own for upholding the law. Hopefully, SI Tomar will be treated fairly and the radicals who incited the incident will suffer the consequences of breaking the law despite Delhi Police’s warning.