'Holi comes once a year, Friday Namaz 52 times': Sambhal police officer Anuj Chaudhary gets clean chit in Jumma remarks matter

Before Holi, Chaudhary had told reporters after a meeting, 'Holi is a festival that comes once a year, whereas Friday prayers take place 52 times in a year.'

Lucknow: A senior Uttar Pradesh police official, who had asked Muslims in Sambhal — which was witness to large-scale violence during a survey of a mosque last year in which four persons had lost their lives — to remain indoors on Holi if they (Muslims) felt their religious sentiments were hurt by colours, was given a clean chit in an inquiry.

According to sources, the probe conducted into the remarks made by Circle Officer (CO) of Sambhal, Anuj Chaudhary, after a meeting of the Peace Committee before Holi, found that there was no violation of the Police Manual.

Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur had lodged a complaint with the authorities stating that Chaudhary’s remarks were in violation of the Service Manual. He also contended that the police official ‘deliberately’ made communal remarks which gave rise to a sense of insecurity among a particular community.

“It was found in the probe that the remarks did not give rise to a sense of insecurity among any community and there was no violation of the Police Manual,” said a senior official on Saturday.

“Holi saal mein ek baar aati hai... Juma (Friday) saal mein 52 baar aata hai.... agar kisi Muslim ko lagta hai ki Holi ka rang padne se uska dharm brashta hota hai to woh us din ghar se na nikle (Holi is celebrated only once in a year while Juma comes every Friday... if the Muslims think that the Holi colours hurt their religious sentiments, then they should remain indoors on that day)," Chaudhary had said.

Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and MP from Sambhal, Zia-ur-Rehman Burq, had accused the police officials of ‘intimidating’ the Muslims and sought action against such officials.