A senior police officer from the sensitive town of Meerut, where five died on December 20 during protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, has been caught on video asking protesters to leave India and "go to Pakistan".
In the video clip, Meerut Superintendent of Police (City) Akhilesh Narayan Singh is seen walking down a narrow lane in riot gear. At one point, Singh stops to talk to a group of men wearing skull caps. "Kahan jaoge? Is gali ko main theek karoonga [Where will you go? I will set this lane straight," the SP is heard telling the men in the video, which was shot in Meerut's Lisari Gate on December 20 -- when five persons were killed during anti-CAA protests.
"Jo kaali patti aur neeli patti baandh rahe ho unko keh do Pakistan chale jaayein [These black and blue badges you people are wearing, tell them to go to Pakistan]," says SP Akhilesh Narayan Singh.
"Desh main agar nahin rehne ka mann hai to chale jao bhaiya...aaoge yahan, 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 [If you don't want to live here, go to Pakistan...you come here but sing praises of some other place. I am now familiar with this lane. And once I remember, I can even reach your grandmother]," the SP threatens the men in the video.
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WHAT HAS MEERUT SP SAID
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SP city Akhilesh Singh said there was chaos in the area and when he reached the lane, he saw some anti-social elements raising slogans in praise of Pakistan.
"Some boys after seeing us raised pro-Pakistan slogans and started running. I told them if you raise such slogans and hate India, then go to Pakistan," the Meerut SP said. He added that the anti-social elements, believed to be in their early 20's, are being identified by the UP Police.
WHAT HAPPENED IN MEERUT ON DEC 20
During the protests on December 20, protesters had torched vehicles and pelted stones at police, who used lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse mobs.
While five people died during the protests, 35 policemen were injured in the violence. The deceased have been identified as Mohsin, Aasif, Zahir, Aalim, all residents of Meerut, and Asif from Delhi.