The family of a Muslim IAS officer from Jharkhand has accused the Raghubar Das government of showing prejudice towards him for being a minority and has launched a campaign to better his posting.
Abu Imran, a 2010 batch IAS officer, is currently posted as joint secretary in the home department, a post he is holding for the last one year. Prior to that, he was put on waiting for posting for few months.
His family claims that the post is generally meant for older officers, who cannot move around much in the field, implementing government’s development initiatives. In his six years of service with Jharkhand government, he has served as SDO in Latehar and deputy commissioner of Ramgarh district for around a year.
The family alleged Imran has been deliberately sidelined despite having a clean image while several tainted officers in the good books of BJP leaders enjoy plum postings.
It all started with a Facebook post by Imran’s wife Annie Aniya Abu Aarib, who claimed officers involved in land scams, cutting trees and failing to control stampedes were holding collector’s post while her husband has been shunted out from mainstream work. The post soon got shared by several friends and well-wishers before she withdrew it.
On Thursday, Imran’s elder brother, Asad-ur-Rahman, a journalist, and sister-in-law Bilkish Khanam, Dhanbad district Congress general secretary, spoke to the media on the issue. “This government is not at all for minorities,” said Khanam, adding, “Of the 24 districts, we have only one Muslim collector, who too was posted by the previous UPA government.”
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, Imran’s elder brother, Asad-ur-Rahman, a journalist, and sister-in-law Bilkish Khanam, Dhanbad district Congress general secretary, spoke to the media on the issue. “This government is not at all for minorities,” said Khanam, adding, “Of the 24 districts, we have only one Muslim collector, who too was posted by the previous UPA government.”
{{/usCountry}}Outgoing chief secretary Rajiv Gauba declined to speak anything on the issue. “I have handed over the charge to my successor,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Kamal Khan, who is the party’s Muslim face in the state, attempted to dismiss the issue, saying caste and religion are not qualifications for posting of any officer. “The officer’s family needs to clarify what they meant by better posting. In Jharkhand, it is a Muslim, Abu Bakr Siddiqui, who remains the longest serving deputy commissioner of West Singhbhum.”