MEERUT, March 14 -- A Sambhal police officer's blunt advice to people concerned about the Iran-Israel conflict, telling them to "board a plane and go to Iran", has landed the officer in trouble, with opposition leaders demanding action and the district's superintendent of police (SP) seeking an explanation over the remarks.

Asaduddin Owaisi, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and MP was among the first to hit out, saying the officer had no right to dictate how citizens express their views in a democracy. "I want to tell that DSP that this country does not belong to your father. You are speaking the language of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu," Owaisi said in Hyderabad, adding that freedom of expression is ...