'Today, the BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per BJP, every person wearing a turban is a Khalistani,' Mamata Banerjee wrote on X.
A BJP leader's "Khalistani" slur towards a Sikh police officer in West Bengal sparked a political controversy. The IPS officer was preventing the leader from visiting Sandeshkhali in Dhamakhali. The confrontation was recorded and shared on social media.
The officer reacted sharply at the comment, saying, "Because I am wearing a turban, you're saying this. If I was not wearing a turban, would you have called me Khalistani? You can say what you want about the police, but you can't comment on my religion."
The police officer in the video is Jaspreet Singh, an IPS officer of the 2016 batch. He is currently posted as Special Superintendent (Intelligence Bureau) in West Bengal Police.
The West Bengal Police later confirmed on Tuesday that it was the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, the state's Leader of the Opposition, who hurled ‘Khalistani’ slur at a Sikh police officer, adding that ‘strict legal action’ is being initiated in the matter.
“We, the West Bengal police fraternity, are outraged to share this video, where one of our own officers was called ‘Khalistani’ by the state's Leader of the Opposition. His ‘fault’: He is both a proud Sikh, and a capable police officer who was trying to enforce the law,” the police posted on X (previously Twitter).
The act, it said, was ‘malicious,' ‘racial’ and 'Communally inciting.
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Mamata Banerjee Reacted: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday shared a video of the incident and slammed the BJP.
The Chief Minister Posted: "Today, the BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per BJP, every person wearing a turban is a Khalistani," Mamata Banerjee wrote on X.
"I VEHEMENTLY CONDEMN this audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of our SIKH BROTHERS & SISTERS, revered for their SACRIFICES and UNWAVERING DETERMINATION to our nation. We stand firm in protecting Bengal's social harmony and will take stern lawful measures to prevent any attempts to disrupt it."
The Congress also tweeted the video and said: “Look at the degraded behaviour of BJP people. A police officer who served the country day and night was called a Khalistani because he wore a turban. This is a very degraded mentality.”
Mahua Moitra Reacted: TMC leader Mahua Moitra who was disqualified and expelled from the Lok Sabha on 8 December 2023 due to her connection with the "Cash for Query" took to X and wrote, “This is what our country has been reduced to - where BJP leaders call serving police officers “Khalistanis”!”
“Indians - please wake up. Ram Rajya won’t feed you, nor give you jobs, nor protect you from BJP’s hateful bigots. Vote them out.”