'Concerted effort to defame Indian Institutions': IPS condemns article on Delhi Police

The Indian Police Service, on Thursday, has condemned an article of the New York Times for its 'concerted effort to defame and denigrate Indian Institutions' with its 'biased reporting' and 'outright lies'. The remarks came after an article titled ‘How Delhi’s Police Turned Against Muslims’ questioned the Delhi Police’s supposed role in the violence that broke out in North East Delhi in late February.

The IPS tweeted about the article and stated that the IPS was a professional body, and pointed out that they too had lost two of their own during the riots, while 70 more personnel were injured.

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The New York Times report

The article accused the Delhi Police of being complicit in the violence and even acting out against Muslims. The article stated that the Delhi police ‘concertedly moved against Muslims’ and ‘at times actively helped the Hindu mobs’. The article also called India’s police culture ‘brutal’, ‘biased’, and ‘anti-minority’.

The article also accused Government of interfering in the Judiciary, and even said that ‘some judges have also seemed to be caught up — or pushed out — by a Hindu-nationalist wave’.

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Violence in Delhi

Violence broke out in several areas in northeast Delhi, forcing the application of Section 144 as well as other strict curbs. Additional security forces have been called in amid the rampant stone-pelting, destruction of public and private property, arson and assorted wanton destruction.

In all, 53 people died and over 200 were injured in the Delhi riots. Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal lost his life and IB officer Ankit Sharma was heinously butchered. The police had filed 167 FIRs and have arrested and have detained 885 people in the matter. Meanwhile, the Delhi HC has given Centre till April 13 to file a counter-affidavit on the plea seeking FIR against leaders who gave hate speech which allegedly incited the Delhi violence.

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