HighLights
  1. IPS Bushra Bano transferred after using Islamic greetings in video.
  2. Right-wing group filed complaint, alleging lack of neutrality.
  3. Opposition leaders criticize transfer, citing religious bias.

A fresh controversy has erupted in West Bengal following the sudden transfer of a Muslim IPS officer. Bushra Bano, a 2021-batch IPS officer, was transferred on Monday, a day after a right-wing group objected to the Islamic greetings she used in a YouTube video encouraging students to pursue careers in the civil services.

The government, however, has described the move as a routine transfer, while the opposition has alleged that it reeks of hate and bigotry.

What did she say in the video?

Bano, who was serving as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur, has now been posted as Deputy Commandant of the State Armed Police 4th Battalion.

Bano had posted a video on her YouTube channel about her journey to becoming an IPS officer after leaving a teaching job in Saudi Arabia. The video is no longer visible on her channel.

In the video, Bano begins with 'Assalamu Alaikum (peace be upon you)' before recounting how she prepared for the civil services after completing her PhD and returning from the Gulf.

Bano was born in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj and completed her studies at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

She also credited the Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) at AMU with helping her prepare for the UPSC examination. "I am sharing this with you all so that other people benefit from it," the IPS officer says in the video.

However, a right-wing outfit, the Hindu Legal Fund, filed a police complaint against her. In a post on X, it wrote, "Complaint filed with West Bengal Home Secretary regarding IPS Bushra Bano’s official video statement.

"She began with Assalamualaikum, used Inshallah, and ended with Jazakallah — and did not use Vande Mataram or Jai Hind.

A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication.

Seeking appropriate review and action."

Bano also faced backlash from several right-wing social media accounts, which accused her of "UPSC jihad".

Soon after the complaint was filed, Bano was transferred, drawing strong criticism from opposition leaders. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised the Suvendu Adhikari-led government, alleging religious bias.

"For a country whose prime minister inaugurated the new Parliament with a sengol and bare-chested sadhus, transferring a Muslim IPS officer for saying 'Assalamu Alaikum' and 'Inshallah' is ridiculous. We are a nation gone mad, poisoned with hate and bigotry. God Save India," Moitra tweeted.

In another post, she pointed out that the same BJP government had set up separate prayer spaces inside the Bharat Mandapam during the BRICS Summit. "We are with you, Bushara," Moitra said.

Moitra also alleged that Muslim officers in West Bengal were being excluded from official events attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Telangana minister and former cricketer Md Azharuddin called the development a "deeply concerning" one.

"When greetings become grounds for targeting a public servant, we must ask – what kind of message are we sending to minorities?" he tweeted.


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