Alwar: Order asking 9 Muslim cops to shave beard axed

A day after Rajasthan police passed a controversial order in Alwar according to which nine Muslim personnel were forced to shave their beards, the police on Friday withdrew the order after the personnel registered their protest.

An order, circulated on Thursday by the Superintendent of Police Anil Deshmukh, had asked nine policemen to shave their beards so that they acted and looked unbiased. However, soon after the news spread and caught criticism, the Alwar Superintendent of Police Anil Paris Deshmukh withdrew the order on Friday.

The police, in its defence, said that earlier they had given permission to 32 Muslim personnel to keep beards. But after the Thursday's order, nine of the 32 personnel were asked to shave the beard and the remaining 23 policemen were allowed to continue with their beards.

On Thursday the Alwar SP Deshmukh told the media that the order was given to show that policemen should not only work in an unbiased manner but they should also look unbiased. "According to a provision state government has allowed the head of the departments to permit policemen to keep beards. And following the same provision around 32 policemen were given permission to keep beard".

However a day after when the personnel's showed dissatisfaction, the order was reconsidered and revoked by the SP Alwar.

"After issuing the order, we had asked policemen to tell us what they feel about it. But after they showed dissatisfaction, the administrative order was withdrawn on Friday," Deshmukh said.