The Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of promoting religious conversions and anti-Hindu propaganda against senior IAS officer Iftikharuddin, presently posted as Chairman of UP State Road Transport Corporation in Kanpur.
Recently, a video surfaced on social media in which the officer was heard discussing strategies to spread Islam across the world and was seen attending a religious meeting in Kanpur. The officer, donning white kurta pajamas and skull cap, was reportedly heard saying that Islam should be spread to every home in the entire world.
In another clip, Iftikharuddin was seen listening to a speaker's radical preaching. The speaker narrated a story of a Hindu man from Punjab converting to Islam following the demise of his sister as during the funeral the naked body of the deceased was exposed, leaving him embarrassed. The preacher went on to mention that hence the man decided to convert to Islam as he did not want his daughter to land in such a situation as dead bodies are cremated and not burnt in Islam. The speaker further explains to the congregation about the benefit of converting to Islam.
After the incident came to the notice of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Home department was directed on Tuesday to constitute a three-member SIT to investigate the matter. While DG, CB CID, GL Meena will be the chairman of the SIT, ADG Kanpur Zone Bhanu Bhaskar will be one of the members.
The Home department has directed the SIT to submit its report to the government within seven days.
Earlier, Math Mandir Coordination Committee national vice-president, Bhupesh Awasthi, had lodged a complaint with the state government against the senior IAS officer and attached the controversial video clips.
Earlier, Commissioner of Police in Kanpur Nagar, Asim Arun had handed over the investigation to ADCP (East) posted in Kanpur. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had also expressed his displeasure over this episode and ordered an inquiry.
In Kanpur Nagar, the probe is being carried out by additional commissioner of police (east) and the focus is on establishing the veracity of the video clips, and whether there have been any crime related to conversion at the official residence of the UPSRT commissioner in Kanpur.
Kanpur Police Commissioner Asim Arun said that several viral videos related to senior IAS Mohammed Iftikharuddin had come to the notice and investigations were underway.
The IAS officer has been posted in Kanpur for a long time and had served as Kanpur divisional commissioner and labour commissioner.
