Lucknow: A police officer in Meerut has been caught on camera threatening, abusing and 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).”
The police officer, surrounded by other personnel, also warned the men that if something happened then every man in the lane will be jailed. “If something happens, you guys will pay the price,” Singh is heard saying on record. “Every man from each house will be arrested.”
Singh was later contacted by the Indian Express over the video. He said that “the context is that anti-social elements were making pro-Pakistan statements”. “We had come to the area to see who all were making pro-Pakistan statements. When we arrived with force, they had run away. We found out that there were 3-4 such people who wanted to create an issue. We had discussions with locals.”
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 an important position, then the responsibility increases,” she said in the tweet.
According to a report on December 23, 14 of these deaths in the state were because of firearm injuries. Earlier this week, the police admitted that one civilian in Bijnor was killed by a constable in “self defence”. The police have been accused of using excessive force to deal with the demonstrators. On Wednesday, HuffPost India reported that the police in Bijnor had detained at least five minors last week, and tortured them for 48 hours.
On Friday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath had justified the police crackdown on protestors. He said the action has “shocked” every protestor into silence.