Why is There a Controversy over a UP Police Officer’s Statement on Holi & Friday Prayers?

By comparing religious practices and suggesting one should yield to another, government officials risk violating constitutional secularism. If an officer or politician starts weighing the importance of religious events, where does it stop?

Historical context matters too. The Mughal emperors, including Akbar and Bahadur Shah Zafar, celebrated Holi alongside Hindus, as did Sufi saints like Bulleh Shah, who wrote:

“Holi khelungi keh kar Bismillah, naam Nabi ki ratan chadhi.”

(Holi will I play, in the name of Allah, with the Prophet’s name as my jewel.)

However, true harmony means celebrating festivals by choice, not coercion. The role of the police and government is not to enforce a religious hierarchy but to ensure everyone’s rights are protected.

So the real question is: Can the state be truly secular if it dictates which religious practice holds more importance?