A senior Uttar Pradesh IPS officer stirred controversy for allegedly taking a pledge at an event for the early construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
In the video, director general (home guards), Surya Kumar Shukla, a 1982 batch officer, can be seen taking a pledge with others for the “early construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya” on January 28.
He was in an event organised by Akhil Bharatiya Samagra Vichar Manch on the Lucknow University campus when he made the vow along with several others. The video of the pledge has gone viral now.
In the video, he says: “Hum sab Ram-bhakt, aaj ke karyakram ke dauraan, yeh sankalp letey hain, ki jald se jald Ram mandir ka bhavya nirman ho (We all Ram-devotees, during this event, pledge for early construction of the Ram Mandir)”.
The state home department has already demanded an explanation on the subject but now even the IPS Association has slammed the officer and said:
“We disassociate ourselves from the act of a senior #IPS officer as shown in the video & reiterate that it is against the ethos of neutrality, fairness and uprightness that Indian Police Service stands for.”
We disassociate ourselves from the act of a senior #IPS officer as shown in the video & reiterate that it is against the ethos of neutrality, fairness and uprightness that Indian Police Service stands for. pic.twitter.com/PoAxmlFBfL
— IPS Association (@IPS_Association) February 2, 2018
The building of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been a major demand of Hindu nationalist groups who have been agitating for its construction for decades. Recently a Muslim woman’s house was allegedly targeted for her vocal support to the construction of Ram Mandir.