Meerut SP Doesn't Regret Making 'Go To Pakistan' Comments; "Reflects BJP's Communal Poison", Says Priyanka Gandhi

"The Constitution of India does not allow the use of this language with any citizen, and when you are an officer in important position, then the responsibility increases," Priyanka Gandhi said in the tweet.

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh):  A senior police officer in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district was caught on camera asking residents of a Muslim-dominated locality to “go to Pakistan” during protest against the amended Citizenship Act last week. The incident reportedly took place on December 20 in Lisari Gate. Four persons died there during the violent protests. “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 viral video. The cop’s belligerence came after the police were reportedly chasing four protesters in the lane who allegedly ran frantically shouting ‘pro-Pakistan’slogans. “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 hoon (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 etched in my mind.  And once I remember, I can even reach your grandmother),"the cop said. Speaking to reporters, the top cop said some boys aged between 18 and 25 were hurling stones at police and shouting 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans during the protest. "I asked them if they love Pakistan so much, then they should go there." Defending his colleague, Meerut ADG Prashant Kumar said Akhilesh Singh showed a 'lot of restraint.' "Stones were being pelted,anti-India & pro-neigbouring country slogans were being raised there.Situation was very very tense. PFI pamphlets were being distributed.This was despite all appeals,including by religious leaders. Yes if situation was normal then 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 Police," Kumar told news agency ANI. With the controversy taking the state of Uttar Pradesh by storm, Shalabh Mani Tripathi, advisor to the chief minister Yogi Aditynath, said he saluted the SP for "giving a befitting reply to the miscreants shouting slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and India Murdabad."

सैल्यूट है मेरठ के सिटी एसपी अखिलेश नारायण सिंह को, पाकिस्तान ज़िंदाबाद और भारत मुर्दाबाद के नारे लगा रहे उपद्रवियों को करारा जवाब देने के लिए, अब कुछ तथाकथित प्रबुद्धों को अफ़सोस है कि भारत मुर्दाबाद और पाकिस्तान ज़िंदाबाद बोलने वाले ग़द्दारों को पाकिस्तान जाने को क्यूँ कहा !! pic.twitter.com/RjjD7spPQi

— Shalabh Mani Tripathi (@shalabhmani) December 28, 2019

Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi condemned the incident and 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 important position, then the responsibility increases," she said in the tweet. Reacting to the incident, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said "the cop should be sacked and not just suspended."