The West Bengal Police on Tuesday said it was 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.
“We unequivocally condemn the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual’s religious beliefs aimed to incite people to take to violence and break the law,” the post further read.
The altercation between the BJP leaders and Jaspreet Singh, the IPS officer, took place when he stopped an Adhikari-led party delegation from entering North 24 Parganas district’s Sandeshkhali, where women were allegedly sexually assaulted by men belonging to the ruling TMC.
‘…because I wear a turban?’
Objecting to the slur, the officer is seen asking if he was called ‘Khalistani’ because of his turban.
“Is this your courage? If any policeman wears a turban and does his duty, he becomes Khalistani? Is this your level?” Singh asked.
The incident drew a reaction from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as well, with the TMC boss accusing the opposition BJP of playing ‘divisive politics’ and overstepping ‘constitutional boundaries.’
“We stand firm in protecting Bengal’s social harmony and will take stern lawful measures to prevent any attempts to disrupt it,” Banerjee wrote on X.
