Kamlesh Dixit, Superintendent of Police, inspecting the mess at Mainpuri Police Lines.
Six days after the viral video of a police constable in the Firozabad district of UP weeping bitterly over the quality of food served at the local police mess, another video on the state of cops' dal-roti has emerged from neighboring Mainpuri. In it, district police chief Kamlesh Dixit is holding up rotis, telling the staff: "Now that the Firozabad matter is in the limelight, will you make amends now?"
"This is what you get paid for. If you cook with your heart, then the food automatically becomes tasty," Mr Dixit remarks in the video, during an inspection at the mess at the local Police Lines two days ago.
He gets angry after swirling a spoon inside a large container that has dal: "This is just water. What is this? Is this dal?"
Mainpuri Police tweeted some visuals of the inspection.
Today, to questions about the video, he told reporters, "This is part of routine procedure. The government has instructed us to look at the welfare of our employees."
"Things have become much better now at the mess," he added.
In the Firozabad video that went viral on August 11, constable Manoj Kumar had tears running down his face as he held a plate with some roti, dal and rice, standing by a road, narrating his problems to passers-by. A senior officer was seen trying to pacify him and take him back to the police station.
In another video, he was seen sitting on the road divider with the plate of food, telling people, "Even animals won't eat this."
Later, Firozabad Police said in a tweet that constable Manoj has a history of disciplinary issues and been punished 15 times in the past over multiple issues.
"I am being threatened that I will be fired from my job," the constable had claimed in the viral video. He said he had complained about the food to his seniors, but no action was taken.
"The Chief Minister had announced that the state government provides an allowance for a nutritious diet for police officials. But this is what we get after long hours of duty," he said, thrusting the plate towards phone cameras.
"How will cops work if we won't get a proper diet?," he asked.