Holi comes once a year, Friday Namaz 52 times: Sambhal cop's remarks spark row
Sambhal (UP), Mar 6 (PTI): A Sambhal police officer on Thursday said those uncomfortable with Holi colours should remain indoors as the festival comes once a year, sparking criticism from the opposition parties which demanded action against him saying his remarks show "bias" and are not befitting of an officer.
A peace committee meeting was held on Thursday at the Sambhal Kotwali police station in view of the upcoming Holi festival, which coincides with Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramzan.
"Holi is a festival that comes once a year, whereas Friday prayers take place 52 times in a year. If anyone feels uncomfortable with the colours of Holi, they should stay indoors on that day. Those who step out should have a broad mindset, as festivals are meant to be celebrated together," Sambhal Circle Officer (CO) Anuj Chaudhary told reporters after the meeting.
He emphasised the need for communal harmony and strict vigilance to maintain law and order. He said that peace committee meetings had been going on for a month at various levels to ensure smooth celebrations.
Chaudhary urged both communities to respect each other's sentiments and also appealed to people to avoid forcibly applying colours on those who do not wish to participate.
"Just as Muslims eagerly await Eid, Hindus look forward to Holi. People celebrate by applying colours, sharing sweets, and spreading joy. Similarly, on Eid, people prepare special dishes and embrace each other in celebration. The essence of both the festivals is togetherness and mutual respect," he said.
"This applies to both communities. If someone does not want colour, they should not be forced," he said.
Reiterating the administration's commitment to maintaining peace, he warned that any attempt to disturb communal harmony would be dealt with strictly.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sharvendra Bikram Singh condemned the remarks and said officers "should not act as BJP agents".
"The officers are imitating what they hear from the chief minister to stay in his good books. Action should be taken against those who make such statements and openly display their bias. This is condemnable, and officers should not act as BJP agents," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Media Committee Vice Chairman Manish Hindvi said, "An officer, regardless of who they are, must be secular; only then can governance function properly in this country. Otherwise, it will lead to anarchy."
"If people from a particular religion have expressed discomfort with the playing with colours, the officer's duty is to ensure that there is no atmosphere of fear or insecurity.
"There should be an arrangement where both Holi is celebrated and Namaz is offered peacefully. Saying that Holi comes once a year while Friday prayers happen 52 times and that those who dislike colours should stay indoors is a political statement.
"Those who engage in vote-bank politics make such remarks. As an officer, one cannot make such statements; otherwise, tomorrow they might say they will only ensure the security of Hindus and not Muslims. The statement made by this police officer is highly condemnable. I believe action should be taken against him as per the officers' code of conduct," Hindvi added.
On November 24 last year, violence erupted in Sambhal's Kot Garvi locality during protests against a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era Jama Masjid. The incident led to the death of four people, while several others sustained injuries.
"Friday prayers take place 52 times while #Holi is celebrated once a year. If anyone in the #Muslim community feels use of Holi colour on them is profanity, it's better they don't step out of the homes"
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) March 6, 2025
- #UPPolice DSP #AnujChaudhary in #Sambhal, #UttarPradesh.#Holi2025 pic.twitter.com/qBv84qhPjw
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
