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Polit Bureau member of CPI(M), Brinda Karat, has filed a police complaint against Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Nageswar Rao who has recently made controversial political statements. She has sought registration of an FIR under Sec 153A and 295A.
Karat has also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to take action against Rao whose recent political statements, that can promote enmity between communities, and his comments against freedom fighters such as Maulana Azad, went viral on social media. The IPS officer is currently serving as Director General of Fire Services, Home Guards and Civil Defence, and reports to the Home Ministry.
Rao is a serving officer bound by service rules and conditions, states Brinda Karat in her letter, adding that “One of these conditions is that no Government officer can make politically motivated public statements. Secondly, each officer is duty bound to protect and defend the Constitution of India.”
She has put on record in her letter to Amit Shah, how Rao publicly posted politically inclined statements on Twitter on July 26, which was then reported by the media the next day. Rao, she alleged “has made the most outrageous politically motivated statements which also go against the spirit of the Constitution. He has insulted heroic freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and other notable educationists belonging mainly to the Muslim community using derogatory language against them and inciting feelings of enmity between two communities.” Karat had earlier voiced the same to SabrangIndia.
She had been one of the first prominent political leaders who had called out Rao’s words and called for disciplinary action against him. “He should be chargesheeted for violating service conduct… for making political comments…,” she told SabrangIndia adding, “Maybe he is fishing for a reward post-retirement. But at the moment he is still serving and disciplinary actions should be taken, he is known to make such comments.”
According to Karat, Rao making such comments on people like Maulana Azad, who are freedom fighters, shows that, “he is a man who does not understand India’s Constitution and freedom struggles.” She added that this was in fact “an attempt to create enemity between communities,” and he should be chargesheeted for that. She observed that, “people who do not accept the Constitution of India can reach such high positions.”
Karat wrote to the Home Minister, that Rao, “openly praised the RSS and BJP for the ‘rehinduisation of India’. He has approvingly commented on the ‘growth of the BJP’. He has made demeaning comments against ‘leftists’.”
According to the senior politician and activist, while an individual is entitled to his views according to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression, as a serving IPS officer, Nageswar Rao has violated service rules. “He is also guilty of offences under Sec 153A and 295A of the IPC,” she added.
Karat has reminded the HM that this was not the first time that Rao “has so violated service rules or incited communal feelings. On somewhat similar grounds when he was a serving officer in the Berhampur Development Authority in Odisha in the late nineties, he made some toxic communal statements. Two official inquiries found him guilty and indicted him and took disciplinary measures,” adding that he “is a habitual offender with a bad record.”
While Rao’s comments, according to Karat, “may make him eligible for induction into the BJP or RSS after his scheduled retirement reportedly on July 31st,” he has made them while he is still serving as an officer. “He therefore must be chargesheeted for violation of service rules and also prosecuted under the relevant sections of the IPC. I hope you will take the required action so that officers who serve the country, remaining politically neutral and within the constitutional framework, will get confidence that those like Nageswar Rao who violate service rules as well as the spirit of the Constitution with a political motive will face punishment according to the law.”
She has also informed Amit Shah, about her complaint to the Delhi Police which reports directly to the Home Ministry, and has requested him to expedite the process for Rao’s prosecution.
The Police Complaint May Be Read here:
Letter to SHO
This is a complaint against a statement made on Twitter by Shri Nageswar Rao, Director General of Fire Services, Home Guards and Civil Defence reported in The Indian Express dated July 27th, 2020. In the said statement made by the above named person put out in the public domain he has made the most outrageous charges against heroic freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and other noted historians, all belonging to the Muslim community of “deracination of Hindus,” “of whitewashing of bloody Islamic invasions/rule.” He has referred to “rehinduised Hindu society” and so on. His words, language, tenor and intention is to cause enmity and hostility between communities and to incite feelings of hatred against Muslims. His words are totally against the spirit of the Constitution and law. His words amount to a criminal offence under Sec 153 A and Sec 295 (A) of the IPC . He has also referred to “left” historians in the most derogatory terms. I request you to file an FIR on the basis of my complaint. I enclose the copy of The Indian Express report. I would like to mention that in recent times it has been seen that the Delhi police has been quite active in using Sec 153A and Sec 295A on the basis of complaints, I may add, wrongly and in a selective manner. I hope you will register an FIR without any delay. Kindly provide me a copy of the FIR. Since my address is under the police jurisdiction of Mandir Marg thana, I am addressing this letter to you. I am also sending a copy to the DCP, New Delhi and the Commissioner of Police. Yours sincerely, Sd/- (Brinda Karat) Copy to: 1) The Commissioner of Police, Delhi 2) DCP, New Delhi |
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