She said ‘Assalamualaikum’. Days later, IPS officer was transferred

New Delhi: An inspirational video by an Indian Police Service officer about her journey into the civil services has triggered a controversy in West Bengal after Hindu groups objected to her use of Islamic greetings — and she was transferred shortly afterwards.

Bushra Bano, a 2021-batch IPS officer, was serving as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur when she appeared in a video aimed at encouraging civil services aspirants.

She began the video with “Assalamu Alaikum”, meaning “peace be upon you”, and later used “Inshallah”, or “God willing”, while encouraging students to pursue competitive examinations.

The video subsequently drew objections from right-wing groups, with one organisation lodging a complaint with the West Bengal Home Secretary.

Hours later, Bano was transferred from Kharagpur and posted as Deputy Commandant of the 4th Battalion of the State Armed Police.

The West Bengal government order dated September 14 cited “public interest” for the transfer and also moved two West Bengal Police Service officers. It did not state that Bano’s video or the controversy surrounding it was the reason for her transfer.

Bano had been in the Kharagpur post for only around two-and-a-half months.

In the video, Bano spoke about her path to becoming an IPS officer and the help she received while preparing for the Union Public Service Commission examination.

She described how Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy helped her during her UPSC preparation, including through its library and other facilities.

Bano said she was sharing her experience so that other aspiring civil servants could benefit from it.

She encouraged students to make use of such coaching facilities and expressed hope that more would succeed in competitive examinations and go on to serve the country.

The video, however, attracted attention for another reason.

Some right-wing social media accounts objected to Bano beginning with “Assalamu Alaikum” and using “Inshallah” and “Jazak Allah”.

The Hindu Legal Fund said it submitted a complaint to the West Bengal Home Secretary questioning Bano’s use of the expressions.

The organisation argued that a serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality in public communication. It also objected to her not using expressions such as “Vande Mataram” or “Jai Hind”.

The New Indian Express reported that Bano’s video was posted on September 13 and that she was transferred on September 14.

When contacted by The Indian Express about the circumstances surrounding her transfer and the online criticism, Bano declined to comment.

The timing of the transfer has prompted opposition politicians to question whether the controversy played a role in the decision.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra criticised the move, arguing that transferring a Muslim officer following controversy over expressions such as “Assalamu Alaikum” and “Inshallah” reflected a double standard.

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi also criticised the transfer and defended the use of the expressions, questioning why the officer had not been supported after facing online criticism.

The government, however, has not publicly linked Bano’s transfer to the video. The official order describes the move as being in the “public interest”.

Bano is originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh and studied at Aligarh Muslim University, where she completed a PhD in management studies. She also qualified for the UGC National Eligibility Test-Junior Research Fellowship.

Before entering the civil services, she worked as an assistant professor in Saudi Arabia and later returned to India to prepare for the UPSC examination.

She cleared the civil services examination and joined the IPS as a member of the 2021 batch.

Her transfer has now turned what began as a video encouraging civil services aspirants into a wider debate over religious expression, official neutrality and the standards applied to public servants.