Sikh body files FIR against Sukanta for hurling slipper
Times of India | 16 June 2025
Kolkata: An FIR was lodged against junior Union minister and Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar at Kalighat police station on Saturday for allegedly hurling a slipper at a Sikh man during a protest on June 12 over the Maheshtala violence.
Sri Guru Singh Sabha general secretary Inderjeet Singh Sekhon, who lodged the FIR, said: "Such an act is not only an affront to the Sikh community but also violates the basic fabric of India's constitutional values that ensure respect for all religions and communities. The deliberate nature of the act is clearly visible, leaving no scope for any unintentional justification.
"The FIR claimed that on June 12, Majumdar threw the slipper at the crossing of Hazra Road and Harish Chatterjee Street. The FIR was lodged under BNS sections 302 (protects individuals from actions intended to harm their religious sentiments) and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt).
Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, general secretary of Gurdwara Behala and member West Bengal Minorities Commission, said: "We demand an unequivocal public apology and strict legal action to ensure accountability. Words alone are not enough—this moment requires decisive steps to show that such acts of disrespect have no place in our society.
"Trinamool Congress, which posted the FIR on X, claimed that the Sikh community had "responded with rightful anger" against Majumdar. "They have demanded an immediate and unconditional apology and warned of widespread protests if their voice is ignored," the party wrote.
Dismissing the allegation, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said Majumdar had only thrown a paper cut-out of a slipper. "The Sikh people are being insulted by planting a concocted story," he said. "People like Majumdar and I grew up learning about the sacrifices of Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh.