New Delhi: IPS officer Bushra Bano was transferred from her post of Additional Superintendent of Police, Kharagpur, on Monday (September 14) after a Hindu rightwing group took offence at her using an Islamic greeting in a video encouraging students to prepare for civil services. Bano on Sunday posted a video on X in which she spoke of the help she received at Aligarh Muslim University’s Residential Coaching Academy while preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.She spoke about preparing for the exams after completing her PhD and returning from a teaching job in Saudi Arabia in the video. She said that the resources – books, library materials, mock tests – at the academy were very helpful in her preparation and urged other students to make use of them. “I hope more students enrol at the academy and use this platform so that more people like me can come forward,” she said in her video.Hindu Legal Fund, which describes itself as a unit of the Hindu Network Foundation, filed a complaint against Bano’s video with the Bengal home secretary, saying that she did not use phrases like Vande Mataram or Jai Hind and instead began her video with Assalamualaikum. “She began with Assalamualaikum, used Inshallah, ended with Jazakallah – and did not use Vande Mataram or Jai Hind. A serving officer representing the Indian state should maintain neutrality and use national expressions in public communication. Seeking appropriate review and action,” HLF said in a post on X.While some users on X criticised Bushra for using a religious greeting, many others were quick to point out the varying standards of religious neutrality applied to officials of different faiths. “India’s true strength lies in its unity amidst diversity. Mashallah to Bushra Bano IPS, an officer who cleared the UPSC twice, left a comfortable job in Saudi Arabia, and is now serving the nation with complete dedication. Her choice of words reflects her personal faith, not a denial of the country she safeguards. In a vast and diverse nation like India, this coexistence is not a weakness, but our pride. Thank you for your service, Bushra! Jazakallah Khair!” former civil servant Ashish Joshi said in a post on X.“Why is slogan of ‘JSR’ acceptable from HM #AmitShah, while ‘Assalamualykum’, a greeting wishing peace, invites scrutiny when spoken by a Muslim IPS officer? When neutrality is the rule in democracy, why isn’t it applied equally for all?” another X user asked.