LUCKNOW: The voices against the reported remarks of Meerut SP (City) Akhilesh Narayan Singh allegedly asking a group of people in a locality to ‘go to Pakistan’ while manning the violent protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have not died down yet as a formal complaint has been filed against the cop in Meerut recently.
As per the local sources, the complaint against the police officer was filed by one Yousuf Saifi in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate under sections 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation and conspiracy) of the IPC.
Notably, a number of videos had been doing rounds on social media in the recent past wherein the Meerut SP (city) was seen making controversial remarks. As per the complaint, a group of Muslims were protesting against the CAA and NRC at Lisari Gate area of the district on December 20 by tying black ribbons on their arms, when the SP (City) had allegedly asked them to go to Pakistan.
As per the advocate Ajay Chad representing the complainant, the court has directed the recording of his statement in the case before it on January 28.
However, UP DGP OP Singh had reprimanded Singh after he had courted the controversy by his remarks. The DGP had sought an explanation from the officer as soon as the video came out. He had advised the officer concerned to choose better words in the situation since nothing should be said which hurt the sentiments of anyone or sparks off a controversy.
The UP DGP’s response had come a day after Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had expressed his chagrin over the reported remark of the police officer. Taking affront to the statement, the minister had said that the job of the police was to maintain peace and not provoke people.
Condemning the SP, Naqvi said it was important for everyone to remember that "Indian Muslims chose the country out of commitment, not compulsion and it was not right to suspect their nationality."
On the other hand, advocate Renu Singh Rana who was on a hunger strike against the ‘Pakistan’ remark by SP the (City) was somehow convinced by the administration to end her strike on Tuesday evening. Rana was sitting on a hunger strike and demanded strict action against Singh. The hunger strike by Rana was called off only after Additional City Magistrate, Civil Lines, Chandresh Singh came and was handed over a memorandum from Rana.