Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has ordered an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) against senior IAS officer Mohammad Iftikharuddin, chief of the state’s Road Transport Corporation, after a video went viral on social media alleging that he advocated “religious conversion” during his posting in Kanpur.
A 1985-batch officer, Iftikharuddin was posted in Kanpur between 2012 and 2018 on various posts, but is currently in Lucknow.
The action comes after videos surfaced online, which allegedly shows the officer promoting conversion.
Iftikharuddin is yet to respond to this incident. ThePrint reached him through phone calls but there was no response till the time of publishing this report.
One Twitter user, Enemy Slayer, claimed that the video was shot during Iftikharuddin’s posting as a divisional commissioner in Kanpur. In the video, a man who online users claim is Iftikharuddin, is asking muftis at his official residence to convert more people to Islam and promote Islamic teaching.
Viral video of Senior IAS Iftikharuddin during his posting as Divisional Commissioner in Kanpur in which he is asking Muftis in his official residence to convert more people into Islam and promote islamic teachingpic.twitter.com/3uzyaGWTjc
— Enemy Slayer (@EnemySlayer24_7) September 27, 2021
Another Twitter user, Prof. Hari Om, accused the IAS officer of urging his coreligionists to “spread Islam to every home in India”.
Conspiracy against Sanatan Dharma:
Kanpur: Mohd Iftikharuddin, IAS, Chairman UP State Road Transport Corporation, urging his coreligionists to "spread Islam to every home in India", adding "it's our ordained duty to spread it in entire world & UP is strategic for this purpose".
— Prof Hari Om (@DostKhan_Jammu) September 28, 2021
Probe ordered
After the video went viral, the Kanpur Police tweeted that an ADCP (additional deputy commissioner of police) would verify its authenticity.
कानपुर आयुक्त आवास में लिए गए #IAS मो. इफ्तिखारुद्दीन के एक वायरल हुए वीडियो की जांच @kanpurnagarpol के ADCP East को दी गई है, जांच की जा रही है कि क्या वीडियो सही है और क्या इसमें कोई अपराध हुआ है। @Uppolice
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE KANPUR NAGAR (@kanpurnagarpol) September 27, 2021
The home department then released a statement that a SIT will probe the case. It will be headed by DG CB-CID G.L. Meena. The SIT will submit its report to the UP government within seven days.
UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi released a video statement in which he said that it’s a very serious issue.
“This is unacceptable in the Yogi Adityanath government. Strict action will be taken if this video turns out to be true,” he said.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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