IAS officer in Uttar Pradesh faces SIT probe over 'religious conversion' complaints
He was suspected of involvement in ‘religious conversion’.
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Lucknow, Sept 29: The Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate videos purportedly showing Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Mohammad Iftikharuddin carrying out propaganda against Hinduism when he was commissioner in Kanpur. He was suspected of involvement in ‘religious conversion’.
This came after the National Vice President of Math Mandir Coordination Committee Bhupesh Awasthi, released videos of religious programs in which he alleged that Iftikharuddin, who is presently serving as the Chairman of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation is telling people the benefits of adopting Islam as a religion.
The IAS officer was seen in some video clips at a gathering at his home where religious conversion was being allegedly discussed. The purported videos also feature a religious leader sitting beside the IAS officer. In another video, IAS Iftikharuddin is seen sitting on the ground when a Muslim speaker is purportedly giving radical lessons at his official residence.
After the video surfaced, Kanpur Police Commissioner Aseem Arun gave the responsibility of investigating the entire matter to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Somendra Meena. "The investigation of the viral video of IAS officer Mohd Iftikharuddin taken at Kanpur Commissioner's residence has been entrusted to ADCP East, Police Commissionerate Kanpur Nagar. It is being investigated whether the video is authentic and if there is any crime in it," tweeted Police Commissionerate Kanpur Nagar.
Taking a serious note of the matter, the government has ordered a probe by the SIT. The team will be headed by DG CB-CID GL Meena and ADG Bhanu Bhaskar will be its member. It will send its report to the government in seven days, the official said.
These anti-religious conversions are hitting headlines after the UP government had passed a law to avoid conversion by force or deceit. The conversion mafia is very strong in Uttar Pradesh. Just a few days back UP ATS had arrested Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui who ran a major religious conversion racket in UP. The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had also arrested three men in connection with alleged religious conversions on Sunday. The ATS had said while two were residents of Muzaffarnagar in UP, the third one hailed from Nashik in Maharashtra.
Regarding the controversial videos being shared on social media platforms, Minister of Law and Justice Brajesh Pathak said the government has taken cognizance of the videos and given instructions for investigation. The place where the IAS officer is sitting and preaching seems to be a government property which is not at all appropriate legally or constitutionally, Pathak said.