A remark by Rampur Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Singh Sisodia on cow slaughter has triggered controversy after he said that those involved in the practice are either "not Muslims" or "haraami".
Speaking to reporters after a meeting on Thursday, Sisodia said incidents of cow slaughter during the Hindu month of Sawan were the work of anti-social elements attempting to disturb communal harmony.
Claiming that Islam does not permit actions that hurt the religious sentiments of other communities, Sisodia said a true Muslim would not engage in cow slaughter. "They are either not Muslims at all or are utter scoundrels," he said, adding that dealing with such people was part of his responsibility.
The remarks drew attention after a video of the interaction went viral on social media.
Sisodia also appealed to religious leaders to cooperate in preventing cow slaughter and said he would hold meetings with them. He said religious scholars would be requested to advise young people against acts that could hurt the religious sentiments of other communities or create law and order problems.
Following the backlash, Sisodia issued a clarification through the official X account of the Rampur Police.
He said his remarks were made in response to a reporter's question and were based on statements issued by Darul Uloom Deoband, which, according to him, has said that slaughtering animals in a manner that hurts the religious sentiments of followers of other faiths is not appropriate.
Sisodia said his intention was to make a social appeal during the month of Sawan to promote mutual respect, peace and communal harmony and not to hurt the sentiments of any community.
Uttar Pradesh has prohibited cow slaughter since the enactment of the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act in 1955. The law imposes a ban on the slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks, except under specified medical circumstances, and also prohibits the sale, transport and storage of beef. Amendments made in 2020 increased the maximum punishment to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with higher fines for repeat offenders.