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HomePoliticsUP IPS officer draws flak for Ram mandir pledge, claims ‘misinterpretation’

UP IPS officer draws flak for Ram mandir pledge, claims ‘misinterpretation’

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Viral video shows Home Guards DG Surya Kumar taking a pledge to build the Ram temple, top cops criticise him for making and defending ‘political’ statement.

New Delhi: A senior Indian Police Service officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre is in the firing line after a video clip showing him taking a pledge to construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya “as soon as possible” went viral. However, the officer insists his words were misinterpreted, and the video doesn’t show the whole truth.

The video features Director General (Home Guards) Surya Kumar speaking at an event at Lucknow University on 28 January, saying: “Hum Ram bhakt aaj is karyakram ke dauran yeh sankalp lete hain ki jald se jald Ram mandir ka nirman ho. Jai Shri Ram (We the devotees of Lord Ram today at this event pledge that the Ram temple be constructed as soon as possible. Jai Shri Ram).”

Kumar, a 1982 batch IPS officer, who was promoted to the DG rank in 2014, was in line for the post of the state police chief. But the BJP government of Yogi Adityanath instead elevated O.P. Sharma, a 1983 batch officer, because he was considered more “efficient”, sources say.

His defence

Surya Kumar told ThePrint that his words were misinterpreted, and the entire truth was not shown in the clip.

“They just highlighted one portion of the clip and misinterpreted the entire thing. The Supreme Court had directed Hindus and Muslims to reach a consensus mutually on the Ram mandir issue, so that the problem is solved once and for all. However, if they are unable to reach a conclusion, then the court’s decision will be considered supreme and will be respected by all. At the event, we were just discussing the issue with our Muslim brothers,” he said.

“We just said that we will try to resolve this issue at the earliest. We never said that we will fight for the construction of the temple.”

Roundly criticised

As the video went viral on social media, many former top cops came forward to criticise Kumar for making such a statement.

“It is a clear violation of the code of conduct that an officer ought to comply with. To make a statement with such political overtones, while being in office, in that capacity, and then brazenly defending the statement, is completely inappropriate,” said former UP DGP Prakash Singh.

“By saying this, Kumar has crossed the red line, and it shows how officers and public servants are getting politicised,” he added.

Vikram Singh, a 1974 batch IPS officer, too said that statement was utterly “irresponsible”, also because the matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court.

“It was reprehensible, irresponsible and totally uncalled for. If a person in uniform says that, it sends a very wrong message to the nation,” he said.

“A police officer does not belong to any political party or community, he is expected to be working for all communities without a bias. But when such a statement is made, it exposes a person. He has compromised the formula on which a public servant operates. Is he the DG only of the Hindus?

“Also, when the matter is sub judice, one cannot make such remarks. Are you bigger than the court?” he asked.

The IPS Association too tweeted the video from its official handle, condemning it. “We disassociate ourselves from the act of a senior IPS officer as shown in the video and reiterate that it is against the ethos of neutrality, fairness and uprightness that Indian Police Service stands for,” the handle tweeted.

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