The Jammu-based Muslim Joint Action Committee (MJAC) has written to the home secretary Jammu and Kashmir, Shaleen Kabra against Senior Superintendent of Police Security Jammu Swarn Singh Kotwal, that an SSP-rank officer “was resorting to wanton vilification and repeated attacks through his tweets on Islam and Muslims”.
The letter which is sent through one Parvez Khan a resident of Langar area in Jammu has also been marked to the Inspector General of Police Jammu, SSP Jammu, and SSP Cyber Police Station Kashmir.
As per the reports, the text of the letter reads:
1.That SSP Security Jammu Mr Swarn Singh Kotwal here in after referred as the Accused is a senior officer of Kashmir Police Services (KPS) and presently posted as SSP Security Jammu, responsible for the security of all protectees as classified by the government from time to time.
2.That the said accused operates his personal twitter handle (Swarn Singh Kotwal – @KotwalSwarn) on the microblogging website Twitter, known world over.
3.That despite being on a very sensitive place of posting and responsible for the safety and security of all sections of the society the said accused has from some time been resorting to wanton vilification and repeated attacks through his tweets on Islam and Muslims projecting them as terrorists. The accused on 29 August, 2020 used an unexpected language to project all Muslims as terrorists by writing, “Time and again all political parties after every terrorist act of violence paddles aatankwad Ka Koi dharm Nahi hota……but this I think is the biggest fraud being played on all of us. From Delhi, Bengaluru to Sweden the religion is very much visible. Sri Lanka and Burma knew it in days”.
4.That the accused on 1 September respondent to a tweet of Sekh Shafique Ansari, “…………..you people will never praise Indian army n its contribution……..jab khoon mein Gaddafi hai….to baap ka kaise hua”.
5.The said accused retweeted another tweet of one Shefali Vaidya which says, “Isn’t it interesting, that people of only ONE religion take to rioting, burning public property, loot, arson and plunder each time they feel their religion is insulted…no matter which….”. The said accused responded by saying, “Because they are taught so”.
6.The accused further retweeted a tweet wherein Muslims were considered to be a threat as they are joining UPSC. The accused further wrote, “…….the need is to open the eye rather to close it. JK militancy reveals that since the past five years people joining militancy are not poor or unemployed but Engineers Technocrats PGs PhD by design”.
7. That the said accused through his personal tweeter handle has been resorting to a planned and sinister campaign in order to malign Muslims and Islam and create an atmosphere of Islamophobia. The moral turpitude is aimed clearly at created enmity and feelings of hatred and ill-will between different religions.
8. That the said act of the accused constitutes serious offences and also violates the service conduct rules besides the moral conduct guidelines issues from time to time.
9. That the complainant is seeking your indulgence to get the matter investigated and take legal action against the accused for the prestige and imagine of government, which otherwise is to be apolitical and unbiased.(Sic)
The letter also addressed to top police officers of the Union Territory (UT), said despite being in a very sensitive place of posting and responsible for the safety and security of all sections of society, “he on August 29, 2020, used an unexpected language to project all Muslims as terrorists”.
“Through his personal twitter, the SSP has been resorting to a planned and sinister campaign to malign Muslims and Islam and create an atmosphere of Islamophobia. The moral turpitude is aimed clearly at creating enmity and feelings of hatred and ill-will between different religions.”
The complainant sought an investigation and legal action against the officer.