From an Islamic Greeting to Online Outrage: What Led to Bushra Bano IPS’s Transfer?

IPS officer Bushra Bano was transferred a day after backlash over her video on her UPSC journey. OBC traces how the video was amplified on X and how the controversy widened into attacks on Muslim representation in the civil services.

On 14 September, West Bengal IPS officer Bushrea Bano was transferred from her position as Additional Superintendent of Police, Kharagpur, to Deputy Commandant of the 4th Battalion of the State Armed Police, a day after a video shared by her on social media drew backlash from several right-wing accounts on X.

The video featured Bushra Bano speaking about her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) journey and role of Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy in her preparation.

The outrage was anchored on the Islamic expressions, including ‘Assalamualaikum’, ‘Inshallah’ and ‘Jazakallah ’, that she used while explaining about her journey to become an IPS officer in the 1-minute-42-second-long video. Within hours, the hate was amplified by several prominent X accounts, with some posts questioning why she did not use expressions such as ‘Jai Hind’ or ‘Vande Mataram’.

The video was reportedly used to target her religious identity and her association with Aligarh Muslim University. Following the backlash, a complaint was also filed against her. The following day, she was transferred to the State Armed Police.

What exactly happened on 13 September?

On 13 September, introducing herself as an IPS officer from the 2021 batch, Bushra Bano reportedly shared a video on her personal X account in which she spoke about her journey towards the civil services and the role played by Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy (RCA) in her UPSC preparation.

She emphasised how joining AMU’s Residential Coaching Academy helped her considerably in her preparation. She also praised the academy’s library and encouraged other aspirants to make use of its resources.

Bushra Bano began the video with ‘Assalamu Alaikum’ and used ‘Inshallah’ during her remarks before ending with ‘Jazakallah’.

Although the original post was later deleted, the video was widely shared by several X accounts.

Amplified backlash against Bushra Bano

On 13 September several X accounts shared the same footage while shifting the focus from Bushra Bano’s UPSC journey to the Islamic phrases she used in the video. The right-wing media outlet Sudarshan News (@SudarshanNewsTV) was among the earliest prominent accounts we identified sharing the video, followed by accounts including Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) and The Jaipur Dialogues (@JaipurDialogues).

Examining these posts chronologically helps trace how the discussion around Bushra Bano’s remarks developed and how the video reached a wider audience on X.

Sudarshan News

Sudarshan News shared the video of Bushra Bano on X at 8:22 am IST. The Hindi caption translates to, “Starting with ‘Assalamualaikum,’ slipping in ‘Inshallah’ midway, and wrapping up with ‘Jazakallah,’ Bushra Bano, serving as Additional SP in Kharagpur, shared how she came from Saudi Arabia and became an IPS officer in India. She made full use of the scheme being run by the government at Aligarh Muslim University. She advised other AMU students to also take advantage of it.”

As of 15 September, the post had received 772,500 views, 2,500 reposts and 4,300 likes.

Sudarshan News also framed the controversy as ‘UPSC Jihad’.

Responding to the post, an X user stated, “Action should be taken against this; this is the benefit of reservation for those who put their religion before the country and the system. Then it is clear that wherever she is posted, she will only support Muslims and discriminate against non-Muslims.” While another user remarked, “What is wrong with this? She is talking about availing government facilities.”

Megh Updates

At 10:24 am IST on 13 September, the X account Megh Updates shared the same video of Bushra Bano.

The post described Bano as an IPS officer who had left her job in Saudi Arabia and cleared the UPSC examination twice. It then highlighted the Islamic expressions she used in the video.

As of 15 September, the post had received 822,600 views, 4,700 likes and 1,400 reposts.

We observed that the video featured the Sudarshan News logo, indicating that Megh Updates shared the same video that was previously posted by Sudarshan News.

Responding to the post, a user remarked, “This is the gift of Modi to the UC sponsoring free coaching for SC/ST/minorities together so that they can become part of the administration together and do genocide of Upper Castes Hindus together, because the hatred is the same in all of them.” Another user stated, “Anyone who finds it unacceptable to say ‘Jai Hind’ or ‘Vande Mataram’ should not serve in the police or armed forces, regardless of their religion or community. Those entrusted with the nation’s security must have an unequivocal commitment to the country and its constitutional order. Such concerns about allegiance should never be overlooked.”

The Jaipur Dialogues

At 2:36 pm IST on 13 September, The Jaipur Dialogues shared the same video of Bushra Bano on X, several hours after it had been circulated by Sudarshan News and Megh Updates. 

Unlike the Megh Updates post, The Jaipur Dialogues added ‘No Vande Mataram, No Jai Hind’ in the caption.

As of 15 September, the post had received 1.1 million views, 13,000 likes and 4,000 reposts.

The post further shifted the focus of the discussion from Bano’s UPSC journey to the question of which expressions a serving IPS officer should use in a public statement. This framing subsequently became part of the wider criticism directed at Bushra Bano over the video.

Responding to the post, a user said, “Such greetings come naturally to many Indians who have lived in Saudi Arabia and later returned home. I learned that Bushra Bano too had worked in Saudi before returning to India. For Indians like me working in Saudi, stories like this show the troubling situation in my country.”

The complaint filed

On 13 September, the Hindu Legal Fund, an advocacy initiative associated with the Hindu Fund under the Hindu Network Foundation, stated in an X post that it had filed a complaint with the West Bengal Home Secretary regarding Bushra Bano’s video statement.

In its post, the Hindu Legal Fund highlighted Bano’s use of ‘Assalamualaikum’, ‘Inshallah’ and ‘Jazakallah’ while noting that she did not use ‘Vande Mataram’ or ‘Jai Hind’.

The post further argued that a serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication. It said the complaint sought ‘appropriate review and action’.

The post also attributes the video to The Jaipur Dialogues, while the footage itself carried the Sudarshan News logo. This provides another interesting link in the circulation of the video, with the same footage moving between multiple X accounts.

The final action

On 14 September, the West Bengal government reportedly issued a transfer order moving Bushra Bano from her position as Additional Superintendent of Police, Kharagpur, to Deputy Commandant of the 4th Battalion of the State Armed Police.

The transfer came one day after the Hindu Legal Fund publicly said it had complained about Bano’s video. However, the government did not publicly state that the transfer was a disciplinary action arising from the complaint or the social-media controversy. They instead described the transfer as part of a minor administrative reshuffle.

The Jaipur Dialogues shared the transfer order on X and described it as ‘Huge Impact’, adding that the officer had been transferred to what it called an ‘insignificant post’ and thanking Suvendu Adhikari, the West Bengal Chief Minister. The post presented the transfer as an outcome of the preceding controversy.

Megh Updates also celebrated the development. In a post published on 15 September, the account described the transfer as ‘BIG ACTION!’ and stated that Bano had been moved to the State Armed Police. It concluded with the statement, ‘UNIFORM HAS NO ROOM FOR RELIGIOUS PROPAGANDA.’ The post used the same video that had circulated during the earlier backlash.

The scope of hatred widened

The backlash around Bushra Bano’s video also expanded into broader claims about Muslim candidates appearing in the UPSC examinations. On 13 September, X users shared a graphic purportedly listing Muslim candidates who allegedly secured ranks in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025, alongside claims of a ‘surge’ in Urdu-medium candidates. One post questioned whether there was a bias in favour of candidates appearing through the Urdu medium and alleged, without providing evidence, that their answer sheets were often evaluated by Muslim examiners and that unusually high marks indicated favouritism.

Another post using the same graphic went further, questioning the presence of Muslims in the civil services and referring to their representation in the IAS and IPS as a potential threat to the ‘secular character’ of administrative power.

These posts took the controversy surrounding Bushra Bano and broadened the discussion to Muslim UPSC aspirants.

OBC analysis shows how a video about Bushra Bano’s UPSC journey was quickly reframed around her religious identity and amplified by multiple X accounts. The same footage was repeatedly circulated with emphasis on her use of Islamic expressions, while some posts questioned the absence of ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.

The backlash was followed by a complaint that led to the IPS officer’s transfer. The discussion subsequently expanded beyond Bushra Bano, with social media posts targeting Muslim representation among UPSC aspirants. The event unfolded shows how a video centred on a civil services journey became a wider online controversy focused on religion and representation.