Gurugram: Haryana Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jitendra Rana issued a public apology Monday after a video went viral allegedly showing him stopping BJP leader Manish Singla from entering the VVIP enclosure at the Drug-Free Haryana Cyclothon 2.0 in Sirsa Sunday, where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was the chief guest.
Manish Singla is the son of a prominent BJP leader from Sirsa and former Odisha Governor, Ganeshi Lal.
The incident, which occurred near the VIP stage at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium, triggered widespread outrage, prompting a swift resolution mediated by Sirsa Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr Mayank Gupta.
A video of DSP Rana apologising to Manish Singla was circulated to the media by the Sirsa district police through an official email from the PRO.
“Jind DSP Jitender Rana apologised to Manish Singla over an incident that went viral on social media during the cyclothone Sunday. DSP Jitender Rana, who was on duty near the stage for maintaining law and order during the event, said that Manish Singla had arrived at the venue and was standing near the cycle track. Rana explained that he failed to recognise Singla and, along with others, asked him to leave the VVIP stage area. The DSP clarified that there was no intention to hurt anyone’s dignity while performing his duty,” said the message accompanying the video in the Sirsa Police’s email.
The message further read that the DSP has said: “If my actions have hurt the feelings of Manish Singla in any way, I sincerely apologise to him…. I have great respect for Manish Ji and his family.”
Rana is posted in Jind district and had come to Sirsa Sunday after he was assigned duty for the CM’s programme.
The controversy unfolded during the high-profile cyclothon, a state-led initiative to promote a drug-free Haryana, flagged off by CM Saini.
Singla, present to support the campaign, was trying to enter the main stage when DSP Rana approached him.
Without verifying Singla’s identity, the officer reportedly asked him and another individual to leave the area.
When Singla attempted to reveal his identity, Rana allegedly ignored it, lifted a barricade rope, and escorted Singla away.
The situation escalated when the DSP grabbed Singla’s arm and directed him toward the other gate, an action captured on video and widely circulated on social media.
The viral video sparked sharp criticism from political figures across party lines.
BJP district president Yatinder Singh told the media that Manish Singla did not raise the issue during a post-event meeting with CM Saini and state president Mohan Lal Badoli, suggesting it only gained traction after the video surfaced.
While some other BJP leaders condemned the DSP’s behaviour after the video went viral, Singla himself tried to downplay the incident Sunday.
When questioned by the media, Singla clarified that the viral video was shared with a “misleading narrative”.
The Superintendent of Police, Mayank Gupta, summoned both DSP Rana and Singla to the PWD Rest House Monday.
Singla accepted the apology, stating, “My family and I deeply respect the Haryana Police. I had never met DSP Rana before, but I am satisfied with his explanation and hold no grudge against him.”
Later, in a Facebook post, he wrote: “I realised one thing after this incident yesterday, that the people of Sirsa love me immensely.”
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has condemned the apology itself on X, writing: “Isn’t the BJP breaking the morale of the police by demanding an on-camera apology from a dutiful police officer?”
Speaking to ThePrint, Sirsa SP Mayank Gupta said the DSP has offered an unconditional apology to diffuse the situation.
“The DSP was only performing his duty during the CM’s function. It is not that there was anything wrong in his performance of duty. But since Singla is a prominent person and he felt bad about the officer’s behaviour, the DSP came forward to offer an unconditional apology,” said Gupta.
The cyclothon, which began in Hisar on 5 April, concluded in Sirsa with over 48,000 participating cyclists, aimed to unite communities against drug abuse.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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