Krishnanagar, Sept. 17: TMC MP Mahua Moitra has formally petitioned the United Nations (UN), alleging that senior Muslim bureaucratic and police officers in West Bengal were systematically excluded from official meetings and protocol duties during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visits to the state, allegedly on account of their religious identity.
In a formal communication dated September 16 addressed to Nicolas Levrat, the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, the Krishnanagar MP detailed incidents involving three senior civil servants: Syed Waquar Raza (IPS), Jawed Shamim (IPS), and Khalil Ahmed (IAS). Moitra alleged that these officers were either asked to leave or instructed not to attend official events across two separate visits by the Home Minister in July and August.
“The one factor these three officers share, and the one factor that sets them apart from the colleagues who were permitted to remain, is their religion,” Moitra stated in her letter, which she subsequently released on social media.
Allegations of Protocol Overrides
The complaint centers on events during Shah’s official visits from July 17–19 and August 20–22. According to the petition:
Siliguri Border Review (July 18): Syed Waquar Raza, Commissioner of the Siliguri Police Commissionerate, was allegedly asked to leave a high-level border security review by then Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta. Moitra noted that Siliguri is the sole commissionerate in Bengal bordering Bangladesh. Sukesh Kumar Jain, IG (North Bengal), was deputed to handle protocol duties in Raza’s place.
Special Task Force Exclusion: Jawed Shamim, Director General of the STF, was reportedly instructed not to attend the Siliguri review. His subordinate, IG Gaurav Sharma, represented the unit instead—a pattern Moitra claimed repeated during subsequent meetings in Calcutta on July 19 and Siliguri on August 20.
Calcutta Administrative Meeting (July 19): Khalil Ahmed, Additional Chief Secretary (Fire and Emergency Services), was allegedly asked to exit a disaster-preparedness and law-and-order meeting upon his arrival.
Moitra emphasized that in multiple instances, the officers had already arrived at the venue before being turned away, arguing that the exclusions reflected a deliberated pattern rather than administrative oversights.
International and Constitutional Violations Cited
The petition asserts that the alleged actions violate Articles 14, 15, 16, 21, and 25 of the Indian Constitution, as well as provisions under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Citing 2011 Census data, Moitra noted that Muslims constitute 27.01 percent of West Bengal’s population (approximately 2.47 crore people), with significant concentrations in strategic border districts. She argued that exclusion within the security hierarchy risks eroding public trust in state law enforcement.
The MP has requested the Special Rapporteur to issue a formal communication to the Central Government seeking an explanation. She has also called for the preservation of official logs, tour diaries, and CCTV footage from the venues to verify the timeline of events.
Broader Political Context
The petition to the UN follows recent political friction over the routine administrative transfer of IPS officer Bushara Bano, formerly ASP (Kharagpur), to the State Armed Police. Bano’s reassignment drew public scrutiny following complaints regarding a video in which she discussed her civil service preparation using standard religious greetings. While state authorities stated the transfer was conducted strictly in the “public interest,” Moitra had previously cited the instance as part of a broader pattern of communal bias.
Neither the Ministry of Home Affairs nor the central agencies involved have issued a public response to the petition sent to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).