Lucknow: Meerut SP (City) Akhilesh N. Singh said Saturday he told anti-Citizenship Act protesters to “go to Pakistan” because those “anti-social elements were making pro-Pakistan statements”.
Singh was offering explanation after a video of him went viral Friday, in which he was seen asking some people to tell anti-CAA protesters to “go to Pakistan”.
Speaking to the media Saturday, the SP said the police had got information that some anti-social elements were creating chaos in the Lisari Gate area of Meerut. “I, along with the ADM (City) reached there and heard ‘Pakistan zindabad’ slogans. I told the local residents there if they really love Pakistan they should leave India and go there. What wrong did I say?”
SIngh added that the police found that there were three-four such people who wanted to create an issue. “We had discussions with locals.”
— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) December 28, 2019
Also read: Panel to probe damage to public property during anti-CAA protests in Muzaffarnagar
‘Situation was extremely volatile’
In the video clip shot in Lisari Gate area of Meerut, SP City Akhilesh N Singh is heard telling some local resident: “Kahan jaoge, is gali ko theek kar doonga. Yeh jo kaali aur peeli patti baande huye hain inse keh do Pakistan chale jao, khaoge yahan ka, gaoge kahin aur ka. Yeh gali mujhe yaad ho gayi hai. Aur jab mujhe yaad ho jaata hai toh mein naani tak pahunch jaata hun. (Where will you go? I will fix everyone. The ones tying black and yellow bands, tell them to go to Pakistan. You eat here but praise Pakistan. This lane is now familiar to me. And once I take charge, I don’t spare anyone)”
अब तक #TrollArmy कहती थी – पाकिस्तान जाओ। लेकिन अब @Uppolice का अफ़सर कहने लगा है – पाकिस्तान जाओ ।ये लोकतंत्र के नाम पर अराजकता , गुंडागर्दी और बेशर्मी का नंगा नाच है। pic.twitter.com/HA1zs2Rd1V
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) December 27, 2019
The SP said Saturday the video was not fake but “circumstances” prompted his words.
Speaking to news agency ANI, ADG of Meerut police Prashant Kumar defended the officer. He said the choice of words could have been better if the situation was normal. “That day, however, the situation was extremely volatile and our officers showed a lot of restraint. There was no firing by the police. Stones were being hurled, anti-India and pro-neighbouring country slogans were being raised. The situation was tense,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Meerut police reportedly blocked a few journalists on Twitter after they shared the video on social media.
Imagine a police unit blocking you just for exposing their bigotry to world!
Dear Meerut Police cops, I’ll take it as a badge of honour and vindication of my reports while you continue with your unchecked bigotry!
Have a good day! pic.twitter.com/iDiYm4PWNk
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) December 28, 2019
Also read: ‘Police brutality videos need verification’ — UP DGP says CAA protesters used illegal arms
COMMENTS HERE ARE AN INDICATION HOW THROUGHLY COMMUNAL SOME HINDUS HAVE BECOME
In any civilised democracy this police officer would be dismissed from service. For making these remarks against a minority community.
I wonder how IPS officers attend international conferences on policing and not feel ashamed.
Akhilesh Singhji you are doing great job this media is all anti India for them its money get chance shoot them
It is alright for some to raise anti Indian slogans even though they want to be Indian citizens till their death. In secular India, some are more equal than others.
DGP UP is reaching out to the media – including Print – to shore up the image of his force. If SP A N Singh is placed under suspension and a DE ordered, that would send an unambiguous message to the country that the administration is not tarring and demonising an entire community. If no action is taken, well this is by no means the most egregious conduct the police have engaged in in recent days.
There is nothing like national insignia, if those Muslims are shouting Anti-India slogans, then they must be death with strongly. Policemen did the right job.
Even if they were, they do not wear the national insignia on their uniforms, have not passed through the portals of the Sardar Patel Police Academy in Hyderabad.
Awesome, sir! Well done. Akhilesh Singhji has done the right thing…we always knew that we Indians don’t do mistakes first, and we don’t leave the people who do mistakes first.