On September 1, 2026 Trinamool Congress parliamentarian Mahua Moitra sent a formal letter to Professor Nicolas Levrat, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, alleging that senior Muslim officers of the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service were barred from official events during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visits to West Bengal.
Moitra highlighted three senior officials – Siliguri Police Commissioner Waquar Raza, West Bengal Police Special Task Force chief Jawed Shamim and IAS officer Khalil Ahmed – claiming they were either asked to leave or denied entry on three separate occasions in July and August when Shah toured the state. The MP argued that officers of other faiths were allowed to attend, suggesting a pattern of discrimination based solely on religion.
The complaint follows a recent police complaint filed against Moitra in Diamond Harbour for a social‑media post that named the three officers and accused the government of “sick communal nonsense.” Cybercrime police later summoned her for questioning.
In her correspondence, Moitra invoked the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, asserting that the alleged exclusion undermines confidence of minority communities in the police and security apparatus. She also noted the heightened significance of the issue because Amit Shah heads the Union Home Ministry, which oversees central police, border and intelligence agencies.
Moitra urged the UN rapporteur to request an explanation from the Indian government regarding any directives that led to the exclusion and to ensure that no officer is denied participation in official duties on the basis of faith.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf