New Delhi: Minutes before the Rajya Sabha passed the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill Wednesday, senior IPS officer Abdur Rahman resigned from the service in protest against the proposed legislation — a decision he said he took in “civil disobedience”.
Posting his resignation on Twitter, Rahman, a 1997-Batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, said, “I condemn this Bill. As a civil disobedience, I have decided not to continue in the service and thus not to attend office from tomorrow.”
“I am quitting the service finally. I am sorry to those who want me to continue in service and give justice to the deprived people,” he added.
The #CitizenshipAmendmentBill2019 is against the basic feature of the Constitution. I condemn this Bill. In civil disobedience I have decided not attend office from tomorrow. I am finally quitting the service.@ndtvindia@IndianExpress #CitizenshipAmendmentBill2019 pic.twitter.com/Z2EtRAcJp4
— Abdur Rahman (@AbdurRahman_IPS) December 11, 2019
Rahman had been serving as the Special IGP of the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission since March this year.
Rahman had tweeted Tuesday, “During the passage of the Bill, wrong facts, misleadingly information, wrong logic were produced by the HM. History was distorted. The idea behind the bill is to stoke fear in Muslims and divide the nation. We condemn #CitizenshipAmendmentBill.”
Had sought voluntary retirement earlier
After Rahman posted his resignation, some Twitter users pointed out that he had already sought voluntary retirement for personal reasons but it was not accepted by the government, and alleged that he was now trying to pass off his resignation as a protest.
▪️IPS OFFICER RESIGNS▪️
On 1.08.2019 a MAHA Cdr IPS Officer sought Voluntary Retirement citing “personal reasons”.
On 25.10.2019 the MHA rejects it.
And conveniently on 12.12.2019 he calls it his last day at work citing “civil disobedience” & CAB as a reason.
What gives???♂️ pic.twitter.com/NciExvQtBR
— Danish Manzoor | Physical Distancing (@TellDM) December 11, 2019
The “resignation letter” that Rahman posted on Twitter, however, mentions this fact that he had tendered his resignation in August this year, and it was not accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Rahman did not respond when reached by ThePrint for a comment.
Rahman’s resignation comes months after two IAS officers quit the administrative service in protest against the central government’s decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave certain privileges to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
He is, however, the first police officer to quit in protest.
Also read: India will never be Muslim-mukt nation, citizenship bill not to target community: Amit Shah
“I humbly request the people belonging to the poor and people of deprived sections i.e. SCs, STs, OBCs and Muslims to oppose the Bill in a democratic manner as it is going to harm them the most,” Rahman said in the letter he posted on Twitter. “I also request tolerant, secular, and justice loving Hindu brothers who have idea of a prosperous and united India to oppose the Bill.”
This Bill is against the religious pluralism of India. I request all justice loving people to oppose the bill in a democratic manner. It runs against the very basic feature of the Constitution. @ndtvindia@IndianExpress #CitizenshipAmendmentBill2019 pic.twitter.com/1ljyxp585B
— Abdur Rahman (@AbdurRahman_IPS) December 11, 2019
An outspoken police officer
Rahman, an outspoken officer, has been vocal in the past too on issues concerning the Muslim community. In what is an aberration in the bureaucracy, Rahman routinely called out the political dispensation for its biases against Muslims.
Rahman’s book, ‘Denial and Deprivation: Indian Muslims after the Sachar Committee and Rangnath Mishra Commission Report’, came out earlier this year.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Rahman said, “If today, they are facing discrimination, lynching, no party is coming forward to talk about them. They think that if they speak about Muslims, they will antagonise the majority community.”
While most bureaucrats shy away from openly commenting on political developments, Rahman showed his support to the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra before the three parties formed the government last month.
“See page 3 of Common Minimum Programme of #MahaVikasAaghadigovt. Under head social justice it says, “The govt will implement various schemes to remove social, educational and economic backwardness of the minority communities”. Welcome step. Will it implement the SACHAR REPORT?” Rahman tweeted.
See page 3 of Common Minimum Programme of #MahaVikasAaghadi govt. Under head social justice it says, "The govt will implement various schemes to remove social, educational and economic backwardness of the minority communities". Welcome step. Will it implement the SACHAR REPORT? pic.twitter.com/qtu9T0GDvr
— Abdur Rahman (@AbdurRahman_IPS) November 28, 2019
After the Telangana police shot dead in a purported encounter all four accused in the Hyderabad vet’s rape and murder case, Rahman tweeted last week, “The media and blinded people have justified the lynching of poor and deprived, killing of lower caste women on suspicion of witchcraft, killing in encounters of Muslim youths in the name of fighting terror. We are shamelessly failed as a civilised society.”
The media and blinded people have justified the lynching of poor and deprived, killing of lower caste women on suspicion of witchcraft, killing in encounters of Muslim youths in the name of fighting terror. We are shamelessly failed as a civilised society.#HyderabadMurder
— Abdur Rahman (@AbdurRahman_IPS) December 6, 2019
In 2014, he had translated the Sachar Committee report into Hindi in a book titled Sachar ki Sifarishein.
Also read: ‘We’re not monsters’ — IPS officers say celebration of ‘Hyderabad encounter’ in poor taste
By looking this as anti Muslims you have insulted the Constitution and the Idea of India because you are Indian first and then bla bla bla. Despite a police officer of this country this was not expected out of you.
Must be a politician’s relative or son or son in law, must be careful of civil servants with political motives
Ha Ha. This guy now supports the Shiv Sena government. No need to say more.
Such jihadis should be kicked out for better, there should be a vetting process, so such people don’t enter the service.
His application for VRS was rejected in August. DOnt workship false gods