A Uttar Pradesh police deputy inspector was suspended for growing a beard allegedly without permission from the department. Intezar Ali, the deputy inspector, was stationed at the Ramallah police station in Baghpat.
Manoj Singh, the Baghpat police public relations officer, quoted the police manual as saying that only Sikhs can wear beards, while all other policemen must be clean-shaven. “If any of them want to grow a beard, they have to ask the department for permission,” he said. Singh added that Ali received a notice to request permission from the department, but he did not comply.
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Baghpat Police Superintendent Abhishek Singh ordered Ali’s suspension on Wednesday.
Ali insisted that he has been trying to get permission to keep a beard since December, but to no avail.
Maulana Zulfikar, state president of All India Imams’ Association, called Ali’s suspension a violation of his right to practice his religion under the Constitution. “The beard is associated with Islam and therefore Ali has the right to grow it.”
The leader of the opposition Samajwadi Party, Susheer Pawar, said police personnel must maintain discipline, but questioned why Ali’s request for permission was not answered.
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