Who Is IPS Officer Bushra Bano, Facing A Complaint Over Her ‘Assalamualaikum’ Greeting?

West Bengal IPS officer Bushra Bano has been transferred days after a video in which she spoke about her UPSC journey drew criticism over her use of Islamic greetings and expressions, raising questions about religious expression and neutrality in public communication by serving officers.

Bano, a 2021-batch IPS officer, was serving as Additional Superintendent of Police in Kharagpur. On Monday, she was transferred to the post of Deputy Commandant of the state armed police.

The transfer came days after Bano posted a video on September 13 encouraging UPSC aspirants and discussing the role played by Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy in her preparation.

Why Is Bushra Bano Facing A Complaint?

The video drew criticism on social media because Bano began with “Assalamualaikum”, used “Inshallah” while speaking and ended with “Jazakallah”.

The video surfaced online as netizens questioned why she did not use expressions such as “Jai Hind” or “Vande Mataram”.

The Hindu Legal Fund said it had complained to the West Bengal Home Secretary, arguing that a serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality in public communication and use national expressions.

“She began with Assalamualaikum, used Inshallah, ended with Jazakallah—and did not use Vande Mataram or Jai Hind,” the group said, seeking an inquiry and action.

There is, however, an important distinction between a complaint and a finding of misconduct. The government has not publicly said that Bano was transferred as a disciplinary measure, and the use of a religious greeting by itself is not expressly prohibited under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules.

What Do Service Rules Say About Religion?

IPS officers are governed by the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968. Rule 3 requires officers to maintain integrity, devotion to duty and conduct befitting a member of the service. The rules also require political neutrality and fairness in the discharge of official duties.

Government decisions under Rule 3 make a distinction between an officer's private religious freedom and conduct that could create an impression of religious favouritism in official dealings. They state that civil servants are entitled to profess, practise or propagate religion in their private lives, but must conduct themselves publicly so that their official dealings do not appear to favour one religion.

The rules, therefore, do not prescribe “Jai Hind” or “Vande Mataram” as mandatory replacements for religious greetings. The question would instead be whether an officer's conduct compromises impartiality or gives the impression that official authority is being used to promote a particular religion.

Who Is Bushra Bano?

Bano was born in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district and studied at Aligarh Muslim University, where she completed a PhD in management studies and cleared the National Eligibility Test for a Junior Research Fellowship.

She later worked as an assistant professor in Saudi Arabia before returning to India to prepare for the UPSC examination. She was married and had children during this period, and has spoken about balancing motherhood with her civil services preparation.

In 2018, Bano cleared the UPSC examination with the 277th rank and was allotted the Indian Railway Traffic Service. She did not join, however, as she was expecting her second child.

She appeared for the examination again the following year and improved her rank to 234, securing selection to the Indian Police Service. As a 2021-batch officer of the West Bengal cadre, she began her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Hooghly Rural and later became Additional SP in Kharagpur.

How Does Bano's Case Compare With Other Officers?

The controversy has also revived questions about whether similar standards are applied to officers from different religious backgrounds.

In 2025, Uttar Pradesh Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhary faced controversy over remarks he made ahead of Holi, which coincided with Friday prayers during Ramzan. Advising Muslims who were concerned about colours to stay indoors, he said: “The festival of colours comes only once a year, while the Friday (Jumu’ah) prayers happen 52 times in a year. If someone finds Holi colours to be an issue while going for prayers, it is better for them to stay inside until the celebrations end.”

He further said that those who wanted to offer Friday prayers could do so at home and, if they chose to go to a mosque, should not object to Holi celebrations on the way.

The remarks drew criticism from opposition leaders, religious organisations and social activists, who accused him of bias and of undermining religious freedom. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, however, defended the officer, saying Chaudhary was a former wrestler and that “a wrestler speaks like a wrestler”. Adityanath said the officer's comments were intended to avoid conflict between Holi celebrations and Friday prayers.

Chaudhary is now himself facing judicial scrutiny in connection with FIRs filed over the Sambhal violence. He is currently being cross-examined in proceedings linked to the cases, adding another layer to the public scrutiny surrounding the officer.

Another case involved Kerala IAS officer K Gopalakrishnan, who was suspended in 2024 over creating and adding other officers to a WhatsApp group called “Mallu Hindu Officers”. The Kerala government said the group had communal overtones and that the conduct could create divisions within the All India Services. Gopalakrishnan maintained that his phone had been hacked.

These cases are not identical: they involve different conduct, contexts and proceedings. But they underline the larger question raised by the Bano controversy — whether neutrality for public servants is judged by the same standard regardless of the religious identity of the officer, and whether the line is drawn at personal expression, participation in religious activity or the use of official authority.