Go to Pakistan, Meerut Cop Tells Anti-CAA Protesters; ADG Blames 'Volatile Situation' for 'Choice of Words'

Meerut: Amid the raging protests and violence over the contentious new citizenship law in Uttar Pradesh, a police officer in Meerut has been caught on camera asking the local residents to tell protesters to “go to Pakistan”. The incident is reported to be of December 20 when four persons died during the protests there.

“Kahan jaoge? Is gali ko theek kar doonga (Where will you go? I will sort out this lane),” SP city Akhilesh Singh can be heard saying in the video which has been shot in Lisari Gate, the Indian Express reported. The police were reportedly chasing four protesters in the lane when the top cop was recorded warning the few locals around him.

“Ye 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 (The ones tying black and yellow bands, tell them to go to Pakistan. You eat here but sing praises of another place… This lane is now familiar to me. And once I remember, I can even reach your grandmother).”

Singh is seen accompanied by other security personnel and he further warns the locals telling them that they would pay the price if anything happens. “Every man from each house will be arrested,” the official can be heard saying.

Singh said some boys had started raising pro-Pakistan slogans on seeing the police. "I told them if you raise Pakistan zindabad slogans and hate India so much that you throw stones then go to Pakistan. We are trying to identify them," the police officer said.

However, Additional Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said the police showed ' a lot of restraint in the situation' and there was no firing. "The choice of word could have been better in normal situation. But that day the situation was extremely volatile," Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI. He said stones were being thrown at the police and 'pro-Pakistan and anti-India' slogans were being raised.

"PFI pamphlets were being distributed.This was despite all appeals,including by religious leaders," he added.

Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi accused the BJP of making the 'institutions communal'.

"The Constitution of India does not allow the use of this language with any citizen, and when you are an officer in important position, then the responsibility increases," she said in the tweet.