New Zealand Police have been heavily criticised after photos emerged of barefoot officers bowing during a visit to a Sikh temple in Auckland.
Photos shared by Punjabi radio station RadioSpice show a large group of local cops wearing Sikh headgear lining up to bow inside the Gurudwara Sri Dasmesh Darbar late last month.
The images were captioned: “Talented officers of NZ police today visited Gurudwara Sri Dasmesh Darbar Sahib, Papatoetoe, and gained information about the ‘Miri’ virtues of Sikh religion.”
The post sparked fury from New Zealanders after screenshots were posted by popular political commentator Holyhekatuiteka on X , where he pointed out that Sikhs are allowed to ride motorcycles without helmets at certain speeds, and carry religious kirpan daggers, saying “so much for one law for all”.
Hmm. Last week Papatoetoe Police went full Luxon, went to a place of worship got into costume, got down on their knees to learn “the virtues of the Sikh religion”
NZ Police have guidelines such as a duty to observe religious neutrality, and work within a secular framework.… pic.twitter.com/0scjQMDmw8
— Holyhekatuiteka (@2ETEKA) May 3, 2026
“Last week Papatoetoe Police went full Luxon, went to a place of worship got into costume, got down on their knees to learn ‘the virtues of the Sikh religion’,” he wrote.
“NZ Police have guidelines such as a duty to observe religious neutrality, and work within a secular framework. However despite this NZ Police do allow two carve outs especially for Sikhs.”
He also shared a news story about a man being slashed in the face with a kirpan at an Auckland temple.
“So pathetic and weak. When did the police decide virtue signalling was a better use of time than tracking criminals?” one New Zealander asked.
“This is the same path that was followed in the UK with their grovelling to Islam, (a dim-witted PM and bent over cops) and the British culture is all but gone now,” wrote another.
“I find this intriguing as I’ve been to engagements with a few Indian communities and never had to costume up. Why is our civil service doing it?” asked a third.
The deferential display came just days before NZ Police tracked down an Auckland woman and accused her of racism over a Facebook post reading “welcome to New India” amid public anger at Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s Free Trade Agreement with India.
Mass immigration from India has also sparked protests by Christian group True Patriots of NZ, who blocked a Sikh parade with a haka in Auckland in December last year, and again in Tauranga in January.
Header image: Left, right, NZ Police at the temple (RadioSpice).
