Zakir Naik row: Joint secretaries plead HM to review colleague suspension

New Delhi: In an exceptional move, a group of as many as 15 joint secretaries serving in the Home Ministry on Tuesday met Rajnath Singh and urged him to reconsider the decision of suspending senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer G K Dwivedi for renewing the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s NGO.

According to the group, Dwivedi has been wrongly punished for the mistake of his juniors who allegedly facilitated the license renewal of Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). It may be mentioned that Dwivedi was serving as Joint Secretary-Foreigners in the Ministry of Home Affairs before his suspension.

“As far as we know Dwivedi, he is an honest officer and the action taken against him sends a wrong message to others,” said one of the officers.

Other highlights:

• “Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the group that he will look into the matter,” told an insider.
• The move by the group of joint secretaries seems unprecedented as bureaucrats had never stood shoulder-to-shoulder to back a colleague in the past.
• Earlier On Saturday, four joint secretaries had met the Union Home Secretary making the same request.
• It may be mentioned that Dwivedi and six of juniors were suspended last week for renewing the FCRA license of IRF.

Also Read: ATS arrests PRO of Dr Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation