"Empowerment" vs "Indiscipline": "Lady Singham" Faces Flak For Firing AK-47 During Dussehra Event

Clad in a blue saree with the pallu (the loose end of the saree) tucked around her waist, she holds an AK-47 assault rifle. She looks at the weapon, moves the safety selector down from "safe" to "fire", and pulls the charging handle. She then fires multiple rounds into the air. She is IPS officer Ankita Sharma, known as "Lady Singham", who was seen firing an AK-47 during a Dussehra event in Chhattisgarh.

The video of the firing, which was part of a traditional weapon-worship ritual on Dussehra in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, has gone viral, triggering a debate over safety, discipline and weapon-handling protocols. While some social media users defended Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police (SP) Ankita Sharma, saying that she was merely following a tradition, others criticised her handling of the weapon.

A traditional 'Shastra Puja' (weapon worship) ritual was performed at the Police Lines in Rajnandgaon city on Tuesday on the occasion of Vijayadashami. Police weapons as well as vehicles were worshipped.

The viral video shows Sharma firing at least 10 rounds from an AK-47.

After her, Rajnandgaon Additional Superintendent of Police Kirtan Rathore fired an AK-47, as seen in another video.

Videos showing police personnel firing weapons after the ritual in other districts, including Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Durg, Kabirdham and Bastar, were also shared with the media on Tuesday.

Asked about the video involving Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said that the government would take cognisance of the matter.

Highlighting the risks of firing a military assault rifle, retired IPS officer R K Vij said it should be carried out only at a safe location and with adequate precautions.

"The tradition is essentially about performing the worship of weapons, not firing them. Such firing carries the risk of accidents and should be avoided," he told news agency PTI.

An IPS officer, on the condition of anonymity, told PTI that firing blank rounds, commonly known as 'awazi kartoos', is part of the Shastra Puja tradition, which is followed across the state. Live ammunition is not used on such occasions, he said.

Even a bullet fired into the air comes back down and can injure people in the vicinity, the officer added.

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Sharing the video on X, former Indian Army officer KJS Dhillon listed eight things that are wrong with the 'celebration' as part of a ritual.

Dhillon noted that the weapon was being handled "dangerously incorrectly" and alleged that all aspects of weapon-handling safety were violated.

"Pointing a loaded weapon in all directions. Ppl (people) in background are visibly terrified. Firing a service weapon for an unauthorised act in a non-authorised dress. Basic weapon handling drill taught in the trg (training) academies not adhered to," he added.

Describing it as a "black demo of authority without responsibility", Dhillon said such irresponsible action can cause death or hurt to self or others and called for punishment against "such acts of indiscipline".

Another social media user, identifying himself as an advocate, called Sharma a "modern Maa Durga". Talking about women power through Sharma, advocate NK Goswami wrote: "It represents the fall of the old demon - the demon that believed women must only be protected, never empowered. Women empowerment does not mean decorating women with slogans. It means trusting them with strength, duty, command and responsibility."

A social media user described it as the "most powerful image of the day".