Amid protests against new Citizenship Act in Uttar Pradesh, a video is doing rounds on social media, where a senior police officer from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut can be heard telling protesters to “go to Pakistan”. Later in his defence, the officer says the protestors were making pro-Pakistan statements.
The incident is reported to be of December 20 when four persons died during the protests there. According to a report in Indian Express, Superintendent of Police (City) of Meerut in west Uttar Pradesh was caught on camera making communal statements in a Muslim locality on December 20. “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 police were chasing four protesters in the lane when the top cop was recorded warning locals.
“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),” says the officer.
Singh and the other policemen then proceed to move ahead but the seemingly infuriated officer returns to the same men at least thrice, and ends by saying, "I will throw every man from every house in jail. (Ek ek ghar ke ek ek aadmi ko jail main bhar doonga main)."
The Indian Express quoted Singh saying, "The context is that anti-social elements were making pro Pakistan statements. We had come here to see who all were making pro-Pakistan statements."
The protests were over Citizenship Amendment Act that offers easier citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains and Parsis who came to India from three neighbouring countries before 2015 after facing religious persecution. It excludes Muslims.
