UP top cop defends SP telling anti-CAA protesters 'go to Pakistan', says choice of words would have been better had things been normal

A top Meerut police officer has defended his colleague who purportedly told anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters "go to Pakistan" during clashes with the police on 20 December.

Meerut additional directorate general of police (ADGP) Prashant Kumar defended Meerut superintendent of police Akhilesh Narayan Singh, saying the SP's "choice of words” would have been better had the situation been normal. Kumar further said, "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 was despite all appeals, including those by religious leaders,” Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.

In the video clip, shot at Lisari Gate area of Meerut, is currently doing the rounds on social media, Singh, referring to four protesters being chased by the police, purportedly says: "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 trace you back to your grandmother).

According to Singh, some boys started running and raising pro-Pakistan slogans when they saw the police. "I told them if you raise Pakistan zindabad slogans and hate India so much that you pelt stones then go to Pakistan. We are trying to identify them," Singh told ANI.

Singh,  accompanied by other security personnel, further warns locals that they would pay the price if anything happens. "Every man from each house will be arrested," Singh can purportedly be heard saying in the video.

On Friday evening, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a series of tweets put out by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that the government promised "strict action" against all those who were a part of violent protests.

"Every rioter is shocked. Every demonstrator is shocked. Everyone has been silenced after seeing Yogi Adityanath government's stern intentions. The chief minister has announced that anyone damaging public property will have to pay. Every violent protester will cry now because there is a Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh," the CMO was quoted as saying in one of the tweets.

So far, in the state 1,113 have been arrested for their alleged involvement in violence, as per PTI. The police have faced flak over the manner in which they handled last week's violent protests, with human rights activists accusing them of using excessive force and targetting innocents.

With inputs from agencies