Azharuddin reacts to IPS officer’s transfer over ‘Assalamualaikum’

Hyderabad: Telangana Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin on Tuesday, September 15, questioned the transfer of Bushra Bano, an Indian Police Service Officer in West Bengal, over her greetings in a video.

In a post on X, Azharuddin said the transfer was concerning. “An IPS officer is reportedly transferred after a complaint over saying “Assalamualaikum” and “Inshallah” in an interaction with civil service aspirants. When greetings become grounds for targeting a public servant, we must ask: what kind of message are we sending to minorities?,” he asked.

THIS IS DEEPLY CONCERNINGAn IPS officer is reportedly transferred after a complaint over saying “Assalamualaikum” and “Inshallah” in an interaction with civil service aspirants. When greetings become grounds for targeting a public servant, we must ask: what kind of message… https://t.co/bqPSnM61Kn

The minister said that India’s strength lies in its diversity and not in policing identities.

Azharuddin’s reaction comes after the West Bengal government transferred Bano on Monday, September 14. Bano, who was serving as Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP), Kharagpur.

She is now Deputy Commandant of the State Armed Police (SAP) 4th Battalion.

Partha Ghosh, who was the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Addl DC) of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate, replaces her.

Bano’s transfer comes after she posted a video, sharing her journey of joining the civil services. She greeted with “Assalamualaikum,” “Inshallah” and signed off with “Jazakallah.”

The Hindu Legal Fund filed a complaint with the government, alleging the officer did not say Vande Mataram or Jai Hind.

“A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication,” read their X post, demanding an enquiry against her.

IPS Bushra Bano’s video largely focused on her journey from an assistant professor in Saudi Arabia to one of India’s most prestigious government posts. She credited AMU’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) for helping her with study materials, test series and access to their library.

She is a 2021-batch IPS officer from the West Bengal cadre. Her first posting was as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP ) in Hooghly Rural. In June this year, she was promoted to Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP) and is currently posted in Kharagpur.

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