A video has purportedly shown a senior Meerut police officer saying the protesters against the new citizenship law can “go to Pakistan”, drawing wide condemnation and prompting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to accuse the BJP of injecting institutions with “communal poison”.
The incident allegedly took place in the Lisari Gate police station area on December 20, when superintendent of police Akhilesh Narayan Singh was speaking to a group of residents in a narrow lane.
Singh claimed he had been alluding to people who were shouting slogans in support of Pakistan during the protest. “I advised them to go to the place in support of which they were chanting slogans,” he said.
The 1.43-minute has been circulated widely. “Yeh jo kaali aur peeli patti bandhe huye hain inko keh do Pakistan chale jao.… Khaoge yahan ka, gaoge kahin aur ka (Tell those wearing black and yellow bands to go to Pakistan. You will eat here but praise some other place)?” the officer purportedly said.
“Yeh gali mujhe yaad ho gayi hai, yaad rakhna. Aur jab mujhe yaad ho jaata hai toh mein naani tak pahunchta hun (Keep in mind that I shall remember this lane. And when I remember, my reach can extend up to your grandmother).”
Priyanka, Congress general secretary, said the Constitution does not allow the use of such language towards any citizen.
“India’s Constitution does not allow the use of such language for anyone. And when you are an official occupying an important post, your responsibility increases,” she tweeted in Hindi and shared a related news video.
“The BJP has injected institutions with communal poison to an extent that officials have virtually no respect for the oath of the Constitution.”
Additional director-general (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar echoed Singh. He said some people were chanting pro-Pakistan slogans and distributing offensive pamphlets in support of the Popular Front of India and the Social Democratic Party of India.
The PFI is allegedly influenced by the banned Students Islamic Movement of India.
Kumar said the video was part of a conspiracy, since it was being circulated a week after the incident when the area was turning peaceful.
