A Sikh officer in Bengal has alleged that BJP leaders called him a "Khalistani" during a face-off
The use of a "Khalistani" slur against a Sikh IPS officer posted in West Bengal has drawn a wave of condemnation from Punjab. From top Sikh bodies to political parties, prominent voices in the Sikh-dominated state have expressed solidarity with IPS officer Jaspreet Singh and praised him for standing up to the offensive remark.
The 2016-batch IPS officer made headlines yesterday after a video of him confronting BJP leaders for allegedly calling him "Khalistani" went viral. In the video, the officer is heard saying, "I am wearing a turban, that's why you call me a Khalistani? I will take action about this. You cannot attack my religion. I have not said anything about your religion." The BJP leaders are heard accusing the officer of not doing his duty and acting as a pawn of the Mamata Banerjee government.
The heated exchange took place at Dhamakhali after Bengal police stopped Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, from visiting Sandeshkhali. The island is at the centre of a political storm after local residents accused Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides of land grab and extortion.
Bengal police have alleged that it was Mr Adhikari who made the "Khalistani" remark. The BJP leader has trashed the allegations and dared the state police to prove its charge. The state BJP unit has also said that the IPS officer had violated the Calcutta High Court order, allowing Mr Adhikari to proceed to Sandeshkhali.
Opposition parties have used the viral video to target the BJP. Chief Minister Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have slammed the party over the remark, accusing it of practising "divisive politics".
In Punjab, top Sikh bodies Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have condemned the incident.
Giani Raghbir Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, has described the incident as "highly condemnable" and underlined sacrifices by the Sikh community for protecting India's unity. He has demanded strict action against those involved in the incident.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which manages top Sikh shrines including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, has slammed the "intentional character assassination of a Sikh IPS officer". "Leaders who have such thinking in the country should never forget that Sikhs have made the most sacrifices for the freedom and protection of the country. Sikhs do not need to get a certificate from anyone, rather they know how to perform services for the nation in accordance with their traditions and customs," the Sikh body's president Harjinder Singh Dhami said in a post on X.
"It is a big question that such people in the country deliberately create an atmosphere of hatred but the governments remain silent. Those who create such an atmosphere should be punished so that people who are honestly doing their duty in different areas do not have to be victims of such hate," he added.
Politicians across the aisle have condemned the incident.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has condemned the remarks and said the BJP should apologise to Sikhs.
Opposition party Shiromani Akali Dal, too, has slammed the remarks and demanded action. "I strongly condemn the deplorable act of igniting communal passions by casting separatist slurs on a Sikh police officer in West Bengal yesterday. Turban is our identity and bestowed upon us by our great Guru Sahiban. It has always symbolised our fierce patriotic fervour too. Strict action should be taken against those guilty of trying to dishonour and defame it and indulging in acts prejudicial to peace and communal harmony in the country," Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a post on X.
"Balle Shera. This is the way to reply to such hate mongers. I request @BJP4India leadership to take strict action against this as hate crime against any #Sikh officer is highly condemnable," Akali Dal general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said in a post on X.
State Congress chief Amarinder Raja Singh Warring has questioned if this is what the BJP thinks about Sikhs. He has asked if this is the behaviour an IPS officer is facing, one can only wonder how an ordinary Sikh will be treated.
Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Congress's Partap Singh Bajwa, has said the incident was "shameful beyond words".
"BJP workers in West Bengal are calling a Sikh IPS officer Khalistani just because he is doing his duty. Is this what BJP thinks about Sikhs? A strong action should be taken against those trying to create this hooliganism and portraying Sikhs as Khalistanis," he said in a post on X.