Lucknow: In Uttar Pradesh‘s Muzaffarnagar, a muezzin was allegedly harassed by a police officer in broad daylight on Wednesday, December 10. The incident, caught on CCTV, sparked massive public outrage.
Muezzin of the Chowk Madina mosque in Muzaffarnagar, Muhammad Irfan, was reportedly exiting the mosque after giving Fajr azaan (the first prayer of the day), when he noticed a police officer stationed outside with 4-5 other constables.
Speaking to local media, Muhammad Irfan said that the constable first asked him, “Who gave you the permission to give the azaan?” When he showed him the legal documents and permission acquired from the district administration, the officer threw the permission and spoke in a demeaning language.
“I tried to show the formal permission, but he did not listen. He kept asking why I was giving the azaan and continued thrashing me,” Irfan said.
The video of the CCTV footage has gone viral, showing the police officer dragging him away from the mosque. Muhammad Irfan was allegedly taken to the police station, where he was illegally detained for several hours. He was released only after residents arrived at the police station and demanded his release.
During the assault, the constable used Islamophobic slurs and told him, “Azaan dene ka itna shauq hai toh Pakistan chale ja. Yaha pe tumhara koi kaam nahi hai” (If you love giving the Azaan so much, go to Pakistan. You do not have any place here)
He was severely injured, with bruises on his legs and shoulders. Local Muslim bodies took cognisance of the issue and reported it to the police.
A group of representatives from Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed a written complaint with the senior superintendent of police on Wednesday, demanding the immediate suspension of the accused cop and departmental action.
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