Mahua Moitra petitions UN over alleged religious exclusion of officials

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has filed a petition with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, alleging religious discrimination against Muslim civil servants in West Bengal. Moitra claims that senior Muslim IPS and IAS officers, including Syed Waquar Raza, Jawed Shamim, and Khalil Ahmed, were systematically excluded from official meetings and protocol duties during recent visits to the state by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The petition details specific incidents during Shah’s visits in July and August, alleging that officers were instructed not to attend high-level reviews, such as a Siliguri border security meeting. Moitra stated that the religious identity of these officers was the sole factor distinguishing them from colleagues permitted to remain.

In a separate incident on September 16, Moitra was reportedly targeted during a political protest in Nadia district. She alleged that BJP workers pelted her with eggs and waved black flags while she was leaving a party meeting in Tehatta. Moitra claimed the incident occurred despite police presence and alleged that the protesters’ actions constituted contempt of High Court directions regarding her protection.