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Andhra MP seeks action against Telangana IPS officer for promoting anti-Hindu ideology

March 20, 2021
The Commune

YSRCP MP Raghu Rama Krishna Raju has complained to the Centre and sought an inquiry and disciplinary action against RS Praveen Kumar, IPS. Kumar is Secretary of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society.

The MP has also demanded an investigation into the activities of Kumar’s private organization, Social Welfare AEROES (SWAEROES), on the grounds that the organisation spreads hate and propaganda in contravention to the Central Civil Service (Conduct) Rules 1964. Praveen Kumar is allegedly referred to within the organisation as the “Supreme SWAERO”, giving the organisation an almost cult-like feature.

The complaint comes after a video surfaced on social media which showed Kumar promoting anti-Hindu sentiments among children. In the video, Kumar and others can be seen taking a pledge which insults the traditions and sentiments of the Hindu community.

Earlier, The Commune had reported that the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) too had complained to the Centre against RS Praveen Kumar and his organisation.

In a letter to President Ramnath Kovind, the MP from Narasapuram writes that Praveen Kumar is promoting anti Hindu ideology and corrupting the minds of children studying in the schools and hostels run by the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS). Praveen Kumar’s stint as the Secretary to the TSWREIS has continued for more than 7 years, which is a contravention to the general practice of Department of Personnel & Training, the letter alleges.

The TSWREIS was set up by the Telangana government in 2014 to provide quality education to needy and deprived children and to administer the various schools, colleges and hostels which are run by the Telangana state government.

The letter adds that the logo of SWAEROES is intentionally copied from that of the TSWERIS, leading the public to misunderstand that the IPS officer’s private organisation is also an officially setup government body.

The letter states that such dubious activities in the name of welfare must stop and punitive measures must be adopted to bring justice to state actors working in such a fashion.

At an event on 15 March called “Bheem Deeksha” that marked the SWAEROES “Holy month”, at Dhulikatta Village, Vadukapoor Mandal, Peddapalli District, Telangana, members of the SWAEROES and participants of the event took this pledge:

“I do not have faith in Gowri, Ganapathi or other Hindu gods. I will not worship them. I do not accept the concept of avatars of God. I will not do Sraardha Karma nor do Pinda Pradhaan. I will not do anything that is against the principles and teachings of Buddha. I will not consume alcohol. I do not believe in Rama, Krishna. I will not worship them.”

Incidentally, this pledge draws inspiration from the pledge taken by Dr. BR Ambedkar upon his conversion to Buddhism at Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 1956.

“By taking the names of Gods and Goddesses belonging to a particular religion, Mr. Praveen Kumar ― who is serving as an IPS officer and holding the responsible chair as Secretary to Telangana Social Welfare Residential Schools department schools, who is a highly decisive, authorized public bureaucrat ― is openly spreading hatred against other religions which is an uncalled for gesture”, the letter complains.

The letter also accuses the IPS officer of diverting taxpayers’ funds into his organisation and of being responsible for other financial irregularities. The letter also alleges that members of SWAEROES collect “unofficial fines” from hostel inmates. Furthermore, the letter alleges that minor girls from the hostels are kidnapped and abused by SWAEROES volunteers. Teachers and other staff members who question their activities are threatened, the letter states.

“Anti-Hindu meetings are conducted with minor school/college children to plant the seeds of hatred and division in young minds. The rules of these schools/hostels are tweaked to deny holidays for Hindu festivals. Children are brainwashed and forced to take pledges not to celebrate their family faith and ancestral traditions”, the letter adds.

“They also perpetrating to anti Hindu activities like tonsuring the children, inmates’ heads without getting parental permission. This is done as part of Buddhist preaching forced on the minor children. They are brainwashing the children with anti-Hindu propaganda, which fills hatred towards their ancestral faith, traditions and civilisation. This is a serious violation of the fundamental rights of the children and is also violation of United Nations Convention on Child rights as well. On the other hand, the Christian preachers have free access into the concerned hostels and schools. Anti-Hindu literature like the ones written by Kancha Iliaha is vastly distributed to the students. The parents of these children are shocked to learn of these things when children come home for holidays”, the letter states.

Volunteers of SWAEROES even attacked National SC Rights Protection Samithi’s representative Karne Srisailam at Panjagutta, Hyderabad, the MP alleges in his letter.

“Organisations like SWAERO in Telangana and Ambedkar India Mission (AIM) of Andhra Pradesh are using the pictures of serving IPS officers and bureaucrats in full uniform in their public, media, social media posts and videos”, the letter continues.

Given the serious nature of the accusations ― against an officer currently serving in the government at a high post, no less ― the Centre must initiate a fast-tracked investigation and take strict action against the accused. “It will be the entire society that will pay the price if people like Mr. RS Praveen Kumar are not dealt with an iron fist of law”, the letter adds ominously.

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