Bengal Transfers Muslim IPS Officer After Row Over Islamic Greetings.

Transfer of Muslim IPS Officer in West Bengal Days After Hindutva Groups’ Complaint Over Islamic Greetings and Gratifications.

Some social media accounts criticised the officer for using Islamic greetings in a social media video instead of saying “Vande Mataram” or “Jai Hind”.

Sankirtan Das | HENB | Kolkata | Sept 16, 2026:: Indian Police Service officer Bushara Bano was transferred by the West Bengal government on Monday, two days after Hindutva groups criticised her for using Islamic greetings and gratifications in a video posted online, The Times of India reported.

In the video, posted on Sunday, Bano spoke about how the Residential Coaching Academy of Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh helped her prepare for the Union Public Service Commission examination after she returned from Saudi Arabia.

Some social media accounts, including The Jaipur Dialogues and the Hindu Legal Fund, criticised the Muslim IPS officer for saying “Assalamualaikum”, a greeting meaning “peace be upon you”, as well as “Inshallah”, meaning “God willing”, and “Jazakallah”, meaning “may God reward you”.

They objected that she had not used expressions such as “Vande Mataram” or “Jai Hind”.

“A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication,” the Hindu Legal Fund said.

The group also said that it had filed a complaint with the West Bengal Home Secretary and sought action against the officer.

The Hindutva groups reportedly expressed concern that the use of explicitly religious expressions by serving police officers could encourage a perception of religious influence within official communication and undermine the secular character expected of government administration and police operations.

Perhaps Bushra Banu intentionally used Islamic greetings and expressions to influence Muslim viewers of her video to consider joining the government-run IPS training centre at RCS-AMU and pursuing recruitment into the Indian Police Service, which some critics have described as part of what they call “IPS Jihad.”

Bano, a 2021-batch officer, was serving as the Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur, Paschim Medinipur district. On Monday, she was transferred and appointed Deputy Commanding Officer of the State Armed Police’s 4th Battalion.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised the development, drawing a comparison with the government’s reported creation of a prayer room during the BRICS summit.

“One BJP govt showing off secular credentials at BRICS summit by creating ‘prayer room’, another sidelines Muslim woman IPS officer Dr Bushara Bano simply for saying ‘Assalamalaikum’ & ‘JazakAllah’ — furthering hate spread by Godimedia TV. We are with you, Bushara,” Moitra said.

Thus, Moitra expressed a preference for Islamic greetings and gratifications over Hindu customs, despite having claimed to be a greater Hindu than anyone in the BJP, as her mentor, Mamata Banerjee, once asserted.

In fact, some Muslim IAS and IPS officers are alleged to maintain Islamic practices within official settings, which critics argue can affect the secular environment of public administration and police operations. In some places, Muslim prayer rooms are reportedly provided on office premises, while greater importance is allegedly given to Muslim festivals than to those of the Hindu majority. Critics have also alleged that Muslim employees are sometimes given additional time for namaz, while requests by Hindu employees for similar accommodations during their festivals are met with reluctance, even after repeated requests.
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_Agency Inputs.