'Go to Pakistan': Meerut cop tells anti-CAA protesters, his senior blames 'volatile situation'
A top police officer in Meerut has been caught on camera asking the the local residents of Meerut to tell the people protesting against the new citizenship law to “go to Pakistan”. The incident purportedly took place on December 20 in Lisari Gate Police Station area when four persons died during the protests there.
What did Meerut SP say
In the 1.43 minute-long video, Meerut Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Narayan Singh can be seen talking to three men in a narrow lane along with other police personnel.
"Yeh jo kaali aur peeli patti bandhe huye hain inko keh do Pakistan chale jao... Khaoge yahan ka, gaoge kahin aur ka (Tell the protestors who have tied black and yellow bands to go to Pakistan, You will eat here but praise someplace else)," he purportedly said.
"Yeh gali mujhe yaad ho gayi hai, yaad rakhna. Aur jab mujhe yaad ho jaata hai toh mein naani tak pahunchta hun (I now remember this lane and I can reach your grandmother)," he said.
His clarification:
Singh later claimed that he had made the statement to a group of people who were raising slogans in the support of Pakistan.
"Some boys after seeing us raised Pakistan zindabad slogans and started running. I told them if you raise Pakistan zindabad slogans and hate India so much that you pelt stones then go to Pakistan. We are trying to identify them," he said.
His senior's reaction
SP Akhilesh Singh's senior ADG Meerut Prashant Kumar said, If the situation was normal, then the choice of words could have been better. That day, however, the situation was extremely volatile and our officers showed a lot of restraint. There was no firing by the police.
ADG Meerut Zone Prashant Kumar said the incident occurred on December 20 following protests in the city. Some people there were raising slogans in support of Pakistan and were distributing objectionable pamphlets in support of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the social Democratic Party of India (SBPI), he said.
After receiving information about it, SP City and DM City went to the spot and told the people that they can leave if they want to, Kumar said.
He termed the video was part of a conspiracy as it was being circulated a week after the incident, when the situation was peaceful in the area.
Samajwadi Party MLA Rafiq Ansari hit out at the top officer, saying he should exercise restraint and not make unconstitutional remarks. The people he was talking about were also the residents of India, he said.
Five people were killed in violence in the city during protests against the amended citizenship act.
Protestors had set over two dozen police vehicles on fire and pelted stones.
(With inputs from agencies)
