A video showing a confrontation between a Sikh truck driver and UP policemen caught the attention of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh (Retd) prompting him to ask his counterpart in Uttar Pradesh to take action.
In the video, a policeman is shown tugging the driver’s beard. The driver reacted by pulling a sword on the policeman and threatening him.
The incident occurred on the Shamli-Muzaffarnagar highway and was recorded by a bystander.
One policeman pulls the driver’s beard, to which the latter takes offense. He is heard saying, “Dadi ko kyun haath laga rahe rahe ho?” (why are you touching my beard?)
Soon after this, the driver pulls out a sword from inside his truck.
What Did the Punjab CM Have to Say?
Reacting to the video posted by a journalist named Piyush Rai, the Punjab CM called the act “deplorable”.
He urged the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take note of the incident and “take the cop concerned to task.”
A beard is considered sacred by Sikhs and Capt Amarinder Singh said that it was “shameful that a man in uniform should show such scant regard for the religious sentiments of a common man.”
Adding to this, he said “a strong message needs to go out that BJP doesn’t condone such behaviour.”
UP Police’s Response
Responding to the Punjab Chief Minister’s remarks on the incident, the Shamli Police’s Twitter handle stated that it was brought to their attention that the Meerut police’s fire service vehicle was heading to Shamli for VIP duty. On the road, the truck in the video and the police vehicle collided, which resulted in the latter’s glass panel shattering.
Further, they said that both parties involved got into an altercation, which was sorted out after they reached the police station.
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