Jaspreet Singh, the Sikh police officer at the heart of the “Khalistani” slur controversy in West Bengal, is an IPS officer from the 2016 batch who is currently the special superintendent in the intelligence branch.

Part of a unique team sent by the West Bengal Police to uphold law and order and look into complaints from villagers in Sandeshkhali, which has been at the centre of a political storm in the state’s North 24 Parganas district, is Singh, who retaliated after being called “Khalistani” while he was speaking to a group of protesting state BJP leaders and workers being led by Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday.

According to police sources, Singh was one of the police officers in charge of upholding law and order and making sure that Section 144 prohibitory orders were followed on Tuesday. Singh had previously served as the district police superintendent for Islampur. In addition, he was the deputy commissioner for the Bidhannagar zone and a member of the Siliguri Police Commissionerate’s special task force. The Raigunj police district employed Singh as an additional SP.

“I have never experienced anything like this in Bengal. I have never heard an elected official say anything so unparliamentary,” Singh said late on Tuesday to a Punjabi news station. Suvendu Adhikari was the leader of the political party whose delegates had arrived. A Section 144 order had been issued, and the legalities were being discussed. During our legal conversation, he referred to me as “Khalistani.” He continued, they were put on the defensive after I retaliated against them for using this word.

There, I was the only Sikh officer assigned; it is unlawful and unparliamentary language to make such a statement after witnessing a turban, according to the IPC. Following that, we got a court order, which we used to justify letting them leave. That was the incident. Action will be taken, I told them,”

Singh remarked

Adhikari refuted the accusation, claiming no one from the BJP had used the term and that they respected the Sikh community, even though the Bengal police claimed in a statement that it was Adhikari who referred to Singh as a “Khalistani.”

Bhagwant Mann, the chief minister of Punjab, described the incident as “extremely unfortunate” in a post on X on Wednesday. The sacrifices made by Punjabis to secure and uphold India’s independence may go unnoticed by the BJP. Mann said in Punjabi that the BJP should apologise to the people of Punjab. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, came out in support of Singh, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denounced the incident.