West Bengal IPS officer transferred after Hindutva group objects to Islamic greeting

IPS officer Bushra Banu has been transferred from her post as additional superintendent of police (ASP) in Kharagpur, West Bengal, days after a Hindutva organisation complained about her use of an Islamic greeting at the beginning of a video encouraging students to prepare for civil service examinations.

Bushra was transferred from the post on Monday (14 September), reports The Wire.

The controversy began after Bushra posted a video on social media platform X on Sunday, in which she spoke about the support she received from the Residential Coaching Academy of Aligarh Muslim University while preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.

In the video, Bushra said she had worked as a teacher in Saudi Arabia after completing her PhD before leaving the job and returning to India to prepare for the UPSC examination. She credited the academy's books, library resources and mock tests with playing an important role in her preparation.

She also encouraged other students to make use of the academy's facilities and urged more students to enrol so that others could get opportunities to join the civil service.

The Hindu Legal Fund (HLF) subsequently complained to the home secretary about the video. The organisation objected to Bushra beginning her remarks with "Assalamu Alaikum" instead of "Vande Mataram" or "Jai Hind".

In a post on X, the organisation said Bushra had used "Assalamu Alaikum" at the beginning, "Inshallah" during the video and "Jazakallah" at the end, while not using "Vande Mataram" or "Jai Hind".

The HLF argued that an official representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication.

The criticism, however, drew a mixed response on social media, with several users questioning whether standards of religious neutrality were being applied equally to officials from different faiths.

Former government official Ashish Joshi defended Bushra in a post on X, saying India's strength lies in unity in diversity. He noted that Bushra had cleared the UPSC examination twice and had left a comfortable job in Saudi Arabia to serve the country.

Joshi said Bushra's words reflected her personal beliefs and did not indicate a lack of commitment to the country she serves. He described the coexistence of different religious beliefs in a diverse country such as India as a matter of pride rather than weakness.

Another X user questioned why a Muslim IPS officer's use of "Assalamu Alaikum" should be criticised if Home Minister Amit Shah's use of the slogan "Jai Shri Ram" is considered acceptable. The user also asked whether, if neutrality is a democratic principle, it should apply equally to everyone.