On Tuesday, a collective of 108 former bureaucrats addressed a three-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing deep concern about the “escalation of violence against minority communities, particularly Muslims,” prevalent in several “BJP-ruled states.” The signatories raised alarm over what they perceive as a threat to the constitutional framework, asserting that state governments, especially those under BJP rule, seem complicit in the current state of affairs.

The letter, a departure from the usual reserved tone of former civil servants, reflects their growing distress at the apparent erosion of the constitutional foundation laid down by the country’s founding leaders. The document emphasizes the accelerated pace at which this deterioration is occurring and compels the signatories to voice their anger and anguish.

The letter specifically notes the surge in hate violence against minority communities, with a focus on Muslims, spanning various states, including Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Notably, all these states are under the governance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), except Delhi, where the police are under the control of the union government.

Among the signatories from Maharashtra are prominent bureaucrats such as Julio Ribeiro, Ravi Buddhiraja, V P Raja, Meeran Borwankar, and Anna Dani.