North 24 Parganas (West Bengal) [India], February 21 (ANI): West Bengal police on Tuesday claimed that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hurled a ‘Khalistani’ slur at a Sikh police officer.
In a series of posts on ‘X’, the West Bengal Police expressed outrage and labelled the comment by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari as malicious, racial, communally inciting and a criminal act.
The police condemned the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual’s religious identity and added that stern legal action is being initiated.
“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…This comment is as much malicious and racial as it is communally inciting. It is a criminal act. We unequivocally condemn the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual’s religious identity and beliefs aimed to incite people to take to violence and break the law… Stern legal action is being initiated,” the police said in a series of posts on ‘X’.
Meanwhile, this incident has elicited a strong reaction from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who said that BJP’s divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries.
“Today, the BJP’s divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per BJP every person wearing a TURBAN is a KHALISTANI. 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,” she said in a post on ‘X’.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, too, strongly condemned the incident, saying that BJP’s poison of hatred has blinded them so much that they can neither see a farmer, a jawan or respect an officer in khaki.
“The poison spread by the BJP’s ‘cultivation of hatred’ has tainted our ‘political marketplace.’ People who have been blinded by this poison are neither able to see the farmers, nor the soldiers, nor the respect for khaki. The nation stands with IPS Jaspreet Singh,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
According to ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, the incident took place when a police force was deployed to enforce Section 144 in Dhamakhali this morning. The force was led by IPS Jaspeet Singh, SSP Intelligence Branch. Several MLAs, including West Bengal Opposition Leader Subhendu Adhikari, were present in Dhamakhali (and were on their way to Sandeshkhali). During an altercation with a police officer, Subhendu Adhikari referred to the officer as a Khalisthani.
