- Woman IPS officer Bushra Bano transferred after using Islamic greetings in video
- She greeted viewers with Assalamu Alaikum and Inshallah in her civil services journey video
- Right-wing groups objected, questioning her neutrality as a serving officer
It was made as an inspirational video - a woman IPS officer sharing her journey and tips with civil services aspirants. Since she is a Muslim, she used the Islamic greeting "Assalam Alaikum" (peace be upon you) at the start of her video. That led to outrage in some Hindu right-wing quarters and a complaint from a Hindu group landed on the desk of the West Bengal Home Secretary. Their issue: how can she use Assalam Alaikum and Inshallah (God Willing) in her address? The woman IPS officer has been transferred. The state government calls it routine and in "public interest". But questions are being asked.
That, in a nutshell, is the story of IPS officer Bushra Bano, who has been transferred from her post as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur in West Bengal within just two-and-a-half months of taking charge.
She has been moved to serve as Deputy Commandant of the 4th Battalion of the State Armed Police, as per the Bengal government order dated September 14.
The notification describes the transfer as being in the "public interest". However, Bushra Bano's sudden transfer has sparked speculation as it came after some Hindu groups objected to her use of Islamic greetings and phrases in her social media video.
Bushra Bano recently shared her journey to the civil services in a video. At the beginning of the video, she greets her audience with Assalam Alaikum. She then recounts her journey to the IPS - how she prepared for the exam, how the Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) assisted her during her preparation for the UPSC examination.
Originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, Bushra Bano completed her PhD from AMU and worked in the Gulf for a few years before returning to pursue her civil services dream.
She cracked the UPSC exam in 2021 and joined the Indian Police Service (IPS).
"I am sharing this with you all so that other people benefit from it," the IPS officer said in the video. She praised the government-run coaching centre at the AMU for the benefit of minorities, women and SC/ST students. "I urge more students to enroll at such centres. I am sure that more students will benefit from these coaching centres and Inshallah [God Willing] will qualify competitive exams so that they can serve the country," Bano said in the video.
A number of social media accounts run by right-wing groups ran a campaign against her, objecting to her use of Islamic phrases and greetings. They argued: "A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication."
The official notification cites only "public interest" as the reason for her transfer, but coming on the back of the controversy, the opposition has questioned it, asserting that it reeks of discrimination.
Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi urged the IPS Association to take note of the matter. "Instead of standing by her, the state government transferred her the very next day. What kind of India are you building, Modi ji?" he posted on X.
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh said: "The government has the right to decide on transfers. But if someone has not uttered any unparliamentary or unconstitutional word, and has only spoken based on their own habits and personal beliefs, if any comment or word came out of their mouth based on that, they should not be punished for it."
A number of social media users have also drawn comparisons to UP police officer Anuj Chaudhary, who is often seen flexing his "Hindu" beliefs while in uniform.
