‘Choice of words could’ve been better but…’: Senior Meerut cop defends colleague’s ‘go to Pakistan’ remark

An image grab from the video in which SP Akhilesh N Singh is heard saying: “Khaoge yahan ka, gaoge kahin aur ka”

After the video of a top police officer asking local residents to tell protesters to “go to Pakistan” during clashes against the new citizenship law went viral, Meerut Additional Directorate General of Police (ADGP) Prashant Kumar Saturday defended his colleague’s actions, saying the “choice of words” would have been better had the situation been normal.

He added that even though the situation on the ground was “extremely volatile”, the officers showed “a lot of restraint”.

“Stones were being pelted, anti-India and pro-neighbouring country slogans were being raised there. The situation was very tense. PFI pamphlets were being distributed. This happened despite all appeals, including those by religious leaders,” Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.

Check this out SP city Meerut UP sending people to Pakistan trying to understand he is really a public servant @ReallySwara @RanaAyyub @anuragkashyap72 @anubhavsinha @navinjournalist @umashankarsingh #CAA_NRCProtests #CAAAgainstConstitution @farah17khan pic.twitter.com/QWvGIcf5n6

— jugnu khan (@thejugnukhan) December 26, 2019

He added, “Yes, if the situation was normal then the choice of words could have been better but that day, the situation was extremely volatile. Our officers showed a lot of restraint. There was no firing by the police.”

In the video clip, which was shot at Lisari Gate and went viral on social media, SP City Akhilesh N Singh is heard saying: “Kahan jaoge, is gali ko theek kar doonga (Where will you go, I will sort out this lane),” referring to four protesters police were chasing.

The officer then turns to three persons and says: “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 (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).”

In the video, the officer, surrounded by other personnel, can also be seen warning the three men standing at the junction of two lanes. “Agar kuch ho gaya toh tum log keemat chukaoge… Har ek-ek aadmi ko jail mein bandh karoonga (If something happens, you guys will pay the price. Every man from each house will be arrested),” the official can be heard saying.

When contacted by The Indian Express, Singh said, “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,” the SP said.