‘Terrorism has no religion’: UP inspector’s remarks go viral, earns praise online
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Lucknow: Days after the Red Fort blast in Delhi that claimed 13 lives and triggered online debates over “Islamic terrorism,” a Uttar Pradesh police inspector has won widespread praise for declaring that terrorism has no religion.
Inspector Narendra Kumar Sharma, posted at Deoband police station, made the remarks during a community meeting aimed at easing tensions. A video clip of his address, shared on social media, quickly went viral, reported Siasat.com.
“A wrong person has no religion. They can be from any religion. Naxalites are from the Hindu religion. Many terrorists were caught in the Navy, many terrorists from the Army were also caught. Many Hindu terrorists were caught in Punjab.,” Sharma said. He added: “It is wrong to think that only Muslims are terrorists. They can be in any religion. Our ideal scripture Ramayana nowhere says to harm any person.”
Siasat.com quoted Sharma as saying “in my 34 years of service, let any Muslim say that the inspector showed bias based on religion. If such a person comes forward, I will resign from my job and leave. Our caste is Police. We are neither Hindu nor Muslim. Police is our religion. Police is our faith. We will die for India. We will sacrifice ourselves for the nation. Even if we lose our lives for the country’s security, it’s not a problem.”
Explaining his motivation for joining the force, Sharma said he was driven by a desire to reform the system rather than financial need. “I did not join the police for money. My family’s condition was good. My grandfather was a landlord. My father had plenty of farmland. When I used to go to study, I would see what was happening with the poor. There was so much brokering at the police station. I joined the police to reform it,” he said.
The remarks drew strong reactions online. One user wrote: “Takes real courage to be in the UP Police and speak up like this. Deep respect to this officer.” Another commented: “True leader, who believes in the Constitution, believes in religious books, believes in human beings. Great leader. But the government might call him. Let’s see.” A third said: “What a good example to have in these terrible times. Kudos to the officer!”
Following the video’s circulation, Sharma was transferred to the Reserve Police Lines in Saharanpur. Superintendent of Police Ashish Tiwari confirmed the move to Siasat.com, clarifying there was no suspension.
Sharma later defended himself, saying his remarks had been misinterpreted and only a selective portion of the video was shared. He insisted the full recording would show he never intended to offend any religious community.