Kolkata : West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday shared a video on her X (formerly Twitter) handle in which a police official from her state was heard accusing Bharatiya Janata Party cadre of calling him a ‘Khalistani’.
Jaspreet Singh, the IPS officer who was deputed at Dhamakhali to prevent West Bengal leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari from visiting restive Sandeshkhali, got agitated after a group of activists of the saffron party allegedly hurled the ‘Khalistani’ slur at him.
State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Sikh body SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) and the Congress have slammed the BJP. Accusing Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of making the remark, the state police said they would take strong legal action.
In the video shared by the Trinamool Congress chief, a senior police official is heard saying,”I will take action on this. Just because I am wearing a turban, you are saying this. If I was not wearing a turban, would you call me a Khalistani? You cannot say this about my religion.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also responded on the matter of using ‘Khalistani’ slur for IPS officer. Hitting out at BJP he wrote “Calling a Sikh IPS officer of Bengal anti-national by a BJP leader is very reprehensible. Maybe BJP doesn’t know that Punjabis have made the most sacrifices in liberating the country and maintaining its independence till date. BJP Should apologize from Punjabis.”
Sikh orgnaisation Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committe (SGPC) has also registered his resentment. “The intentional character assassination of a Sikh IPS officer S. Jaspreet Singh by the BJP leaders in West Bengal is highly condemnable. Leaders who have such thinking in the country should never forget that Sikhs have made the most sacrifices for the freedom and protection of the country. Sikhs do not need to get a certificate from anyone, rather they know how to perform services for the nation in accordance with their traditions and customs. It is a big question that such people in the country deliberately create an atmosphere of hatred but the governments remain silent. Those who create such an atmosphere should be punished so that people who are honestly doing their duty in different areas do not have to be victims of such hate.” SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami wrote on X.