BALLIA (UP)
In an unprecedented incident UP police on Tuesday asked a Muslim women to remove her Burqa amid crowds of people at a rally in Ballia.
Just before Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was to make an appearance at a rally here three women police officers were seen asking a Muslim woman wearing a burqa to remove it.
Promising an inquiry into the incident, a senior police officer police said they just had a black flag alert.
In visuals shot by journalists, the woman is seen first taking off a saffron scarf from around her neck. Over the next minute, prompted by the officers, she took off the burqa, revealing a cream saree underneath.
She then smiled at the officers, who asked her to fold the garment and keep it. But soon, a male police officer arrived and walked away with the burqa. In the video, the officer could be heard admonishing a journalist recording the sequence. “Kya yaar aap bhi (you too, friend?)” he is heard saying.
The woman, who identified herself as Saira, said she was a BJP worker and had come to the rally from her village wearing her “traditional dress”.
“It was black in colour. Perhaps there is some kind of a ban here, that’s why I was asked to remove it. I have been a worker for a long time. My husband has been with the BJP for over a decade. It’s ok, let it be,” she said.
The district police chief, who was in charge of security for the rally, said there would be an inquiry.
“So far, I have not received any report of this. We had instructions that there should be no black flags shown at the rally. I will get this looked into. One cannot forcibly make anyone remove a burqa,” said Anil Kumar.