UP police inspector faces action for saying “terrorist don’t have religion’ in viral video
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Saharanpur: A police inspector from Deoband landed in controversy after a video of his remarks on terrorism and religion went viral on social media, prompting the police headquarters to initiate disciplinary action.
The video, recorded during a community meeting held at the Deoband police station on Tuesday, surfaced shortly after the Delhi blast and at a time when rumours and communal speculation were spreading in the region. Inspector Narendra Kumar Sharma had convened the meeting to appeal for calm and to urge local residents not to fall for misleading messages circulating online.
In the clip, Sharma is heard telling the gathering, “Terrorism and terrorists do not have any religion… it is wrong to think that only Muslims are terrorists. They can be found in every religion.” He went on to say that wrongdoers exist across communities, citing examples from various sectors.
A short portion of his comments, recorded by someone present, was widely shared on social media, leading to criticism from some groups. In the viral segment, Sharma can be heard saying, “This chair is like my mother. A wrong person has no religion. Naxalites come from the Hindu community, many terrorists have been caught in the Navy, many in the Army, and many Hindu terrorists were also arrested in Punjab. It is wrong to believe that only Muslims are terrorists.”
He added that no religious scripture endorses violence, stressing that he had worked for 34 years without discrimination. “In my 34 years of service, if even one Muslim says that I have shown bias based on religion, I will resign and walk away,” he said.
Sharma also spoke emotionally about his reasons for joining the police force, recalling how, as a student, he witnessed corruption, exploitation of the poor and the role of middlemen inside police stations. “Our caste is police… the police is our religion, the police is our faith… we will sacrifice ourselves for the country,” he told the gathering.
After the video reached senior officials in Lucknow, Saharanpur SSP Ashish Tiwari directed that Inspector Sharma be line-attached on Thursday.
Sharma has maintained that his comments were taken out of context. He said that only a selective clip was circulated online and that the complete recording would show that he never intended to hurt any religious community.
Sharma has served at the Deoband police station for nearly two decades and is known locally for his straightforward communication and fair conduct. Several residents have voiced support for him after the video controversy.
UP inspector Narendra Kumar Sharma, posted in Saharanpur:
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) November 13, 2025
"A terrorist has no religion. Naxalite were Hindus. Several Hindu terrorists were arrested from the Navy and the Army. The opinion that terrorists come from Muslim religion is wrong. He (terrorist) is not a man of any… pic.twitter.com/1lHuIEuQQV
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Junior Hockey World Cup: IndiGo crisis disrupts travel plans of players' families, fans
Chennai (PTI): For Kate, the dream was simple -- to watch her son Fahy Noah play for the Australian team in the Junior Hockey World Cup here and visit the Taj Mahal.
But her plans, like those of many others, have been upended by the operational crisis that has hit IndiGo, India's largest domestic airline.
"I am here for the first time and India is so kind and welcoming. We were hoping to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are a bit scared now," Kate, who has come from Brisbane, told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here.
"One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. I think we will have to cancel all our travel plans now, though seeing the Taj Mahal was on my bucket list for long," she said.
ALSO READ: IndiGo fight disruptions: Opposition demands statement from government
This is the first time that 24 teams are participating in the Junior Hockey World Cup, being held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. For most players and their families, it is their maiden trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to support the Indian team.
However, the widespread flight delays and cancellations have thrown schedules into chaos. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' flight duty and regulations norms. This resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports across the country.
Laura, who has come from Belgium with her entire family to support her son, said they are now travelling by road.
"We are happy to be here in this beautiful country. We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are planning to go to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road," she said.
"We had taken IndiGo flights earlier, but some other families who travelled on different days got stuck and somehow managed to come back by train. So we are not flying anywhere in India now. Road travel only and then back to Brussels next week," she said.
For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian and a lifelong supporter of Indian hockey, the crisis was particularly distressing. He spent 12 gruelling hours at the Chandigarh airport on December 4 before finally reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.
"Our IndiGo flight was delayed by 12 hours. We were at the airport from 7 am to 7 pm. They kept giving excuses -- the aircraft has not arrived, the pilot is not available. We had no idea what was actually happening," he said.
Accompanying Sohal was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, a former treasurer of the English Hockey Association, who had flown in from London.
"It was a horrible experience. They kept changing the timings from 12 noon to 4 pm and we finally took off at 7:20 pm. They gave us sandwiches which were not even good," Mandair recalled.
"Our return flight is also on IndiGo, but now we are exploring other options," he said.
Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, who was on the same flight, said his excitement has turned into anxiety.
"We were so excited about this trip; hockey is our first love. But this (IndiGo crisis) spoiled our mood. Now we are worried about returning because at our age, we cannot travel long distances by train or road," he said.
Jason, the father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, has had an eventful trip to India so far -- beginning with the rain in Chennai triggered by Cyclone Ditwah.
"We are from Hobart -- home of Ricky Ponting and David Boon. We arrived after a cyclone, which caused heavy rain. Now the sun is out and we are enjoying ourselves," he said with a smile.
Jason, too, has shelved all further travel plans.
"No sightseeing now. We will just eat, swim and head back. I am loving masala dosa, masala tea and curries," he said.
Some fans from Bengaluru, who had booked their flight tickets months in advance, decided not to take a risk. They opted for refunds and drove down to Chennai on Sunday to catch the semifinal.
"With flight uncertainty and trains full, we drove down. We did not want to miss India in the semis," said Vinod Chinnappa, who drove for six hours to come here.
Even officials have not been spared by the flight disruptions.
Digvijay Singh, an official of the Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours at the Patna airport to catch a flight to Chennai.
"I did not want to miss the India-Belgium quarterfinal, so I waited. I finished all episodes of (web series) Family Man at the lounge," he said.
"I had gone to Patna from Delhi for a meeting earlier in the day and then needed to connect to Chennai," Singh said.
With the World Cup set to wrap up in two days, uncertainty about people's plans to return home looms large.
With prices of alternative flights rising and train seats nearly impossible to find, fans, officials, families and journalists are monitoring travel apps as closely as match updates.
If the situation does not improve soon, returning home could be as challenging as winning matches on the field.
