The IPS Association has applauded the young sub-inspector in Uttarakhand Police, Gagandeep Singh, for displaying utter valour while saving a Muslim man from lynching by an angry mob last week.
In its official tweet, the association wrote, “We salute the courage, compassion & presence of mind of our young colleague from #Uttarakhand Police in saving a man from a lynch mob. SI Gagandeep Singh exemplifies the values that should guide every police officer.”
A video of Singh saving a Muslim youth in Uttarakhand from being lynched by the members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad had gone viral on social media platforms, catapulting him to instant stardom.
Singh later said that his aim was to ‘save the boy from being lynched.’ He said, “I have received a lot of positive messages on social media. However I have also received several hate messages.” Singh went on to add that he would have saved that boy’s life even if he was not in uniform.
The incident took place in Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar area near Girija Devi temple. Ramnagar is a town in Uttarakhand near the famous Jim Corbett Park, which is very popular among tourists.
The area surrounding Girija Devi temple is also popular among young couples since a small river flows not far from here. On 22 May, the Muslim youth had come here with his Hindu girlfriend. Some members of the militant Hindutva organisations managed to find out their religious backgrounds and began to physically assault the boy until he was saved by a brave police officer, identified as Gangandeep Singh.
In the video, now fervently being shared by social media users, the Muslim boy can be seen being attacked by Hindutva goons, who ask for his I-card. Upon learning that he’s Muslim, the mob gets agitated.
Sensing that the boy could face a potentially lynching by Hindutva goons, Singh takes him under his protection and makes valiant efforts to save him even as men in saffron attire continue to attack the boy with punches and slaps. The goons then begin to chant slogans against the local police after they are prevented from attacking an innocent Muslim.
Later, the local police officials said that they had taken the couple to the police station, where the girl’s parents were called. The police officers reportedly informed the girl’s parents that she was meeting a Muslim boy on the pretext of going to study adding that both of them were adults.
Uttarakhand is currently being governed by the BJP, which won the assembly elections in February 2017. The state has been relatively peaceful and has not witnessed incidents of religious violence. But local correspondents say that this has changed significantly since the BJP came to power last year.
Killing Muslims in the name of cow and so-called love-jihad has become a favourite pastime for the members of the militant Hindutva outfits since Natemdra Modi became India’s prime minister. Several ministers in Modi’s cabinet and lawmakers of the PM’s party have given calls for India’s Muslims to be kicked out of the country. These motormouth politicians have continued to occupy the top posts in the BJP and the government despite their open bigotry and hate speeches.
