Religious conversion plaint against senior UP IAS officer

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday ordered an inquiry by a special investigation team after a senior IAS officer was seen in some video clips at a gathering at his home where religious conversion was being allegedly discussed.

In one of the purported videos, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) chairman Mohammed Iftikharuddin is seen sitting with a group of men, apparently clerics, and is heard saying that it is their duty to spread Islam to every home.

In a related video, the 1985-batch IAS officer is seen sitting at a gathering where another man is talking allegedly in a provocative manner about the merits of converting to Islam.

The videos were said to be taken at the camp office-cum-official residence of the official when he was the Kanpur divisional commissioner in between 2014 to 2017.

Iftikharuddin, who is currently posted in state capital Lucknow, when confronted by a TV channel scribe first denied being present at the gathering but later admitted that he was present there.

"What did I say wrong? I have been misinterpreted," he told the reporter in Hindi. Taking a serious note of the matter, the government has ordered a probe by the SIT, an official said. The team will be headed by DG CB-CID G L Meena and ADG Bhanu Bhaskar will be its member.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was on a visit to the district and neighbouring Unnao on Monday, said the inquiry was instituted into the matter when his attention was drawn to the videos. IAS officer