Jaipur: Alleging that he is being 'victimised' and 'humiliated' Umrao Salodiya, a senior IAS officer from the SC community, Thursday has converted to Islam and also applied for Voluntary Retirement from Service (VRS) in protest against the extension of tenure awarded to Chief Secretary CS Rajan.
“I am Chairman of RSRTC and Additional Chief Secretary for the last over four years, and competent for the post of Chief Secretary but the present CS is given 3 months extension by the state government, hence I can not work under a junior,” Umrao Salodiy, Chairman of Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, who changed his name to Umrao Khan after becoming a Muslim, said.
"For the first time after Independence, myself, an IAS officer from the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes category, would have been appointed today (December 31) as the chief secretary of Rajasthan on the basis of seniority.
"Instead, to deny this opportunity to me, Chief Secretary C.S. Rajan has been given a three-month extension till March 31, 2016, by the state government after the approval of the government of India," Salodia said in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and the Centre's department of personnel.
"Article 25(1) of the Constitution of India guarantees to every person and not only to the citizens of India, the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propogate religion. Under this fundamental right I have converted myself from Hinduism tto Islam religion on today the 31st December 2015. After conversion my name is Umrao Khan", he said in his letter.
“I had an understanding that being the member of Scheduled Caste (SC) and senior IAS officer cadre, I would be given a chance to work as Chief Secretary, I feel victimised, hence I submitted three months notice of VRS to the state government,” the Additional Chief Secretary rank IAS officer of 1978 batch who was set to retire on June 30, 2016, said.
“Now the state government has to take a decision on my VRS cum protest letter within three months. However my retirement is due June 2016,” he said.
Giving another example of a personal case in which he filed an FIR with Gandhi Nagar police station against a judicial officer in 2014, no action was initiated by the police, he said.
“Being a Hindu and SC member, I was always victimised, hence I converted my religion to Islam by reading “Kalma” (Shahadah) in a Masjid,” he said.
When asked whether he has any plan for re-marriage with any Muslim woman/girl, he said, “No way. I have my family. I feel happy now, satisfied that I protested against victimisation”.
Present Chief Secretary C S Rajan, who has to retire today, has been given three months extension by the Raje government. According to reports, Vasundhara Raje was not too keen in making Salodia as the Chief Secreatry as he has only a few months to retire.
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