While the Supreme Court of India placed a gag order on the Sudarshan TV’s ‘UPSC Jihad’ program on its ‘Bindas Bol’, a show which demonstrated the alleged infiltration of Muslims in the civil services, an old video of Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi calling on Muslims to hijack the bureaucracy and civil services examination is doing the rounds on the social media platforms.
In the video, presumably from 2017, Imran Pratapgarhi can be seen exhorting the Muslims to capture positions in the bureaucracy and civil services to help their community. “You can teach your children engineering, you can teach them to become doctors, you can also raise them to become successful businessmen, a billionaire, this would undoubtedly benefit you personally, but if you want to help your generations, there is no other way but by capturing the bureaucracy and the civil services. Take power in your hand,” Pratapgrahi said.
Pratapgarhi was also heard urging his coreligionists to set up an institute for providing free coaching of civil services examinations to the aspirants from their community. The Congress leader added that he was soon going to establish one such institute in the Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh.
In his show, ‘Bindas Bol’ on Sudarshan TV, the editor-in-chief of the channel, Suresh Chavhanke, spoke about the issue which was voiced by Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi more than two years ago. However, Chavhanke had to face a ban on his TV series while no action was initiated against Pratapgarhi for issuing a clarion call to the Muslims to capture the civil services.
Imran Pratapgarhi booked for his statement asking why there was no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad
Imran Pratapgarhi, who was a Congress candidate from Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency in 2019 General elections, also made provocative remarks in Hyderabad earlier this year. He was booked by the police for his remark asking why there was no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad, referring to the enclave that had come up in the national capital to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
“I am shocked to see that there is no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad,” Imran Pratapgarhi had reportedly said, which the police claimed was provocative and could have deteriorated the law and order situation in the city.
Congress leader was involved in carrying out violent anti-CAA demonstrations in Moradabad
Besides, Pratapgarhi had also been involved in the violent protests that had racked Moradabad Idgah in the aftermath of the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. The Moradabad District Administration in February 2020 had sent a notice of fine of Rs 1 crore 4 lakh and 8 thousand to the poet and Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi for being involved in demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and violating Section 144. In the notice sent, the administration has accounted for a daily expenditure of Rs 13 lakh 42 thousand in the protest against the CAA which has been continuing at Moradabad Idgah since January 29.
Pratapgarhi was accused of inciting Muslims by making incendiary speeches at the demonstrations. In one of the gatherings at Idgah, Pratapgarhi said, ”In the last few days, we have seen pictures and videos which brings to our mind the question of where our country is heading towards. Our daughters and sisters are persistently being tortured by the police. I will continue to participate in all such movements even further. This government cannot suppress our voice. The administration sent me a notice. I will see how to respond back. I will approach the High Court and if needed to the Supreme Court as well.”
