NEW DELHI: A group of over 90 former bureaucrats have written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), demanding strong action against Sudarshan TV for its proposed telecast of a “communally charged” series on recruitment of IAS and IPS officers in the country.
In the letter, the civil servants have called for a “stronger administrative and legal action” against the news channel for its “communally charged, divisive and sensational series” on the recruitment process.
Incidentally the Delhi High Court has already granted an interim stay on the telecast.
“This series claims to be an expose of a conspiracy in the recruitment process that has resulted in a sudden increase in the number of Muslim officers selected for the two most prestigious services — IAS and IPS — in the country. Jamia Millia Islamia has been singled out in this context,” the letter read.
It went on to add that it is “completely perverse” to allege that there is a conspiracy to infiltrate Muslim officers into the services, or “to use terms like UPSC Jihad or Civil Services Jihad” in this connection.
“The country is already smouldering with hate speech against Muslims, including allegations of Corona Jihad and Love Jihad, which various courts have found to be false. This telecast will add further fuel to that fire,” it said.
They also urged the authorities concerned to order lodging of first information report (FIR) under the relevant legal provisions.