KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has approached the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, alleging that senior Muslim IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal were excluded from official events involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah because of their religion.
In a letter to Prof Nicolas Levrat, the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Moitra alleged that three senior officers were either asked to leave or were prevented from attending official events during Shah’s visits to West Bengal in July and August.
Three Officers Named
Moitra referred to the cases of Waquar Raza, Police Commissioner of Siliguri; Jawed Shamim, chief of the West Bengal Police Special Task Force; and senior IAS officer Khalil Ahmed.
According to her allegations, Raza was excluded from a welcome lineup, Shamim was not invited to events attended by Shah, and Ahmed was asked to leave a meeting.
Moitra argued that the common factor among the three officers was their religion and questioned why officers from other communities were permitted to participate. These claims are allegations made by Moitra; the reports cited do not establish independently that religion was the reason for the officers’ exclusion.
Appeal to UN Special Rapporteur
In her communication to the UN official, Moitra described the alleged incidents as a pattern of deliberate exclusion and said they could have implications for the confidence and security of minority communities.
She has asked the Special Rapporteur to seek an explanation from the Government of India regarding the reasons and authority behind the alleged decisions.
Moitra has also requested the preservation of CCTV footage, tour diaries and other official records connected with Shah’s visits, according to the report.
Allegations Previously Raised on Social Media
Moitra had first raised the allegations publicly on social media earlier this month. She tagged the IPS Association and IAS Association while questioning whether the organisations would respond to the alleged treatment of the officers.
The allegations subsequently became the subject of a police complaint against Moitra, and she was summoned to Diamond Harbour Police Station, according to The New Indian Express.
What Happens Next
Moitra’s move shifts the dispute from a domestic political controversy to an international human-rights forum. The UN Special Rapporteur’s mandate allows the office to seek information and communicate with governments on issues concerning minority rights.
The immediate issue is whether the allegations regarding the three officers can be independently established through official records and other evidence.
The controversy also comes amid wider political tensions in West Bengal, where the TMC and BJP have frequently clashed over governance, minority issues and the role of the Union government in the state.
