Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister demanded action against Niyaz Khan saying his call for such a film were in violation of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

Pervez Bari 

BHOPAL – An IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh, Niyaz Khan, is in the news for daring to urge Vivek Agnihotri, the producer of “The Kashmir Files,” to make a film on the “killings of a large number of Muslims across several states”. He feels such a film would be a logical follow-up of “The Kashmir Files” as members of the minority community who have fallen prey to targeted killing are “not insects, but citizens of the country”.

Through this daring act, Khan has ruffled the feathers of the ruling BJP. Members of the saffron party in the state are baying for his blood as he rubbed them the wrong way by exposing them publically. Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang hastened to demand action against Niyaz Khan for his advice to make a film on killing of Muslims too.

While interacting with media persons, he said the officer’s comments were in violation of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

“What Niyaz Khan has done is just to bring himself into the limelight. He is trying to promote sectarianism in society and create chaos which can’t be allowed,” the minister said, adding that he found the officer’s tweets “firqa parast” (full of sectarian bias) and he should be removed from his post of deputy secretary.

“I am going to write to the Department of Personnel of Training (DoPT), Government of India, seeking action against him”, Sarang said.

Niyaz Khan said he would reply to the government when a clarification is sought from him. I am answerable to the government, and not “netas” (political leaders). It is also a matter of right to expression, said the IAS officer.

Meanwhile, former media in-charge of the BJP, Govind Maloo, who was first to notice and react to the tweet of IAS Khan also wrote a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, Chairman of the UPSC and Department of Personnel demanding action against the officer, who is currently posted as deputy secretary at the Public Works Department (PWD).

It may be mentioned here that Niyaz Khan had tweeted on last Friday saying: “The Kashmir Files shows the pain of Brahmins. They should be allowed to live safely in Kashmir with all honour. The producer must also make a movie to show the killing of a large numbers of Muslims across several states. Muslims are not insects but human beings and citizens of the country.”

Suggestion to spent earnings on Kashmiri Brahmin kids’ welfare

Despite the adverse comments from BJP leaders including MLA Rameshwar Sharma, Khan, on Sunday, tweeted: “Income of Kashmir Files reached 150 crores. Great. People have given a lot of respect for Kashmiri Brahmins’ feelings. I would respect film producers to transfer all earnings to the Brahmin children’s education and construction of homes for them in Kashmir. It will be a great charity.”

Replying to Khan, the director of the movie, Vivek Agnihotri, sought appointment from him to exchange ideas on how he (Khan) can help with the royalty of his books and his power as an IAS officer. The director is scheduled to visit the state capital on March 25.

Khan also reacted to the comments he got on his tweet related to The Kashmir Files. He wrote, if you speak the truth, fanatics start attacking you. Social media is full of abuses (gali) against me. The language of such haters will only show their low quality education. Educated people use civilised language with great manner. But modern education failed to make civilised citizens.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member Digvijay Singh, who is a former CM of Madhya Pradesh, has supported Nayaz Khan’s suggestion to Vivek Agnihotri to spend earnings from the film on the Kashmiri Brahmin children’s welfare.

Khan has authored seven books and came into media limelight after he filed a case against renowned filmmaker Prakash Jha on charges of copying his story from the novel “Untold Secrets of my Ashram”. Once he wanted to meet gangster Abu Salem in jail to write a book on him.