In a big development, about 224 former IAS officers have written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, extending their support to the recently enacted anti-conversion law in the State. The letter comes days after 104 ‘motivated’ ex-IAS officers demanded the withdrawal of the law, meant to contain the epidemic of grooming jihad.
The letter, as accessed by Times Now, read, “It is a matter of concern that one group of retired civil servants, visibly biased, with an anti-establishment attitude despite overtly posing as non-political, repeatedly avail of every opportunity to put the Indian democracy, its institutions and persons, legitimately holding IAS officers in poor light before the whole world by making ill-considered public statements.”
Under the umbrella of ‘Forum of Concerned Citizens’, the 224 retired IAS officers have stated that the ‘motivated’ civil servants and other vested interests are working on a mission to downgrade the integrity of India.
#Breaking | 224 ex-IAS officers write in support of the anti-conversion law brought forth by Uttar Pradesh Govt.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) January 4, 2021
Aditi with details. pic.twitter.com/HQmrMT0D2S
While speaking to Times Now, one of the signatories of the letter, Yogendra Narain said that the anti-conversion law is necessary to put a check on illegal conversions. He said that the Uttar Pradesh government took the right step by making a legal framework for all in dealing with such cases. “The law applies to all. It is not targeted at a particular religion or sect… If anyone wants (to convert), they must follow the legal procedure. It is the right of the government to determine how conversions should take place,” Narain emphasised.
On being asked about the claims made by the other group of 104 ex-civil servants, Yogendra Narain said that the Chief Minister has been duly elected by the people and that the government is within its right to frame such a law. He added that the institution of Judiciary is there to determine the ‘constitutional validity’ of the anti-conversion law. Narain conceded that the menace of forceful conversions had been highlighted by several newspapers and it was high time that the government intervened in the issue.
Listen in to Yogendra Narain, one of the signatories of the group of former IAS officers who wrote in support of the anti-conversion law brought forth by Uttar Pradesh Govt. pic.twitter.com/eAkRzknHKy
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) January 4, 2021
104 former IAS officers demand the withdrawal of anti-conversion law
Earlier, 104 ex-IAS officers had written to Yogi Adityanath and alleged that Uttar Pradesh had become the epicentre of ‘hate politics’. “It has become painfully evident that, in recent years, UP state, once known as the cradle of the Ganga-Jamuna civilisation, has become the epicentre of the politics of hate, division and bigotry and that the institutions of governance are now steeped in communal poison,” they argued.
Claiming that the Uttar Pradesh CM needed to re-educate himself about Constitutional principles, the letter further alleged, “… a series of heinous atrocities committed by your administration against young Indians across Uttar Pradesh… Indians who are simply seeking to live their lives as free citizens of a free country.”