PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has accused the BJP of “policing” the vocabulary of Muslims in India.
Her remarks came after the transfer of IPS officer Bushra Bano from her post as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur, West Bengal, amid objections over her use of Islamic greetings in a video.
Mehbooba Refers to Bushra Bano Transfer
Bushra Bano was transferred from her Kharagpur posting about two and a half months after taking charge. A complaint had reportedly been filed objecting to her use of the greetings “Assalamu Alaikum”, “InshaAllah” and “JazakAllah” in a video.
Commenting on the development, Mehbooba said the incident no longer shocked the minority community.
“Bushra Bano’s transfer for saying ‘Assalamu Alaikum’, ‘InshaAllah’ and ‘JazakAllah’, followed by the West Bengal Chief Minister calling an election a ‘test’ of Muslim loyalty, a veiled threat to the community as a whole, doesn’t shock us anymore,” she wrote on X.
The transfer has not been officially linked to the complaint by the West Bengal government.
‘Now Even Our Vocabulary Is Being Policed’
Mehbooba said it was surprising that ordinary words expressing peace, gratitude and faith could create controversy.
“What is rather amusing is that three simple words – ‘peace be upon you’, ‘god willing’, and ‘god be praised’ – can apparently rattle a party so large and powerful,” she said.
She further alleged that Muslims were increasingly facing scrutiny over their personal choices and identity.
“First our food, clothes and marriage, now even our vocabulary and our votes are being policed. Insecurity, thy name is BJP,” Mehbooba said.
Her comments come amid a wider political debate over religious identity, minority rights and the use of religious language in public life.
