Sandeshkhali: IPS officer slams BJP workers for calling him 'Khalistani', saffron camp denies charge
Kolkata, Feb 20: A Sikh IPS officer, who was deputed at Dhamakhali to prevent senior West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari from visiting restive Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, got agitated after a group of activists of the saffron party allegedly hurled the 'Khalistani' jibe at him.
BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, accompanying Adhikari, claimed that the police officer wasn't fulfilling his duties and dismissed the allegation that BJP supporters called him a 'Khalistani'.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the BJP's "divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries", and condemned the "audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of Sikhs, revered for their sacrifices and unwavering determination to our nation".
IPS officer Jaspreet Singh, who along with his team was deputed at Dhamakhali and had put up barricades to stop Adhikari from visiting Sandeshkhali located just across Kalindi River, was allegedly called a "Khalistani" by a group of BJP supporters.
"Just because I am wearing a turban, you people are calling me a Khalistani? Is this what you have learnt? If a police officer wears a turban and performs his duty honestly, he becomes a Khalistani for you? Shame on you," he was heard saying to the BJP supporters.
Singh said he was just doing his job.
"I am just doing my job. Did I say anything about your religion, why are you speaking about my religion?" he said.
Banerjee shared a video clip on X and said the BJP's divisive politics has crossed all constitutional limits.
"Today, the BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per @BJP4India every person wearing a TURBAN is a KHALISTANI. I VEHEMENTLY CONDEMN this audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of our SIKH BROTHERS & SISTERS, revered for their SACRIFICES and UNWAVERING DETERMINATION to our nation," she posted on X.
"We stand firm in protecting Bengal's social harmony and will take stern lawful measures to prevent any attempts to disrupt it," she said.
The BJP, however, denied the charge and accused the police officer of not performing his duty as per the Constitution.
"No one has abused him or used the word Khalistani. He is trying to make an issue. The police officer was not performing his duty as per the Constitution," Paul said.
Meanwhile, members of the Sikh community planned to gherao the BJP's state headquarters on Muralidhar Lane in Kolkata in protest against the 'Khalistani' jibe, TMC sources said.
They are also planning another protest in Asansol, they said.
Earlier in the day, police had stopped Adhikari from visiting Sandeshkhali, citing that the imposition of prohibitory orders and the state government moving the division bench against a single bench order on Monday allowing the leader of the opposition in the assembly to visit the trouble-torn area.
He later reached Sandeskhali after being granted permission by the division bench of the Calcutta High Court to visit the restive area.
Sandeshkhali had witnessed a series of protests after local women accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.
Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated with him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.
Today, the BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per @BJP4India every person wearing a TURBAN is a KHALISTANI.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 20, 2024
I VEHEMENTLY CONDEMN this audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of our SIKH BROTHERS & SISTERS, revered for their… pic.twitter.com/toYs8LhiuU
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
