Mahua Moitra, the Trinamool Congress MP from Diamond Harbour, sent a formal letter to UN Special Rapporteur Nicolas Levrat on 28 September 2024. She claimed that West Bengal’s top Muslim IAS officer Khalil Ahmed, IPS officer Waquar Raza, and Special Task Force chief Jawed Shamim were systematically barred from official events hosted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his July‑August visits to the state. The letter cites specific incidents where the officers were asked to leave or denied invitations.
Moitra said the exclusions occurred on three separate occasions, noting that officers of other faiths were allowed to participate. She argued the pattern amounted to deliberate discrimination on the basis of religion, citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The MP demanded that the UN Special Rapporteur seek clarification from the Indian government on the authority behind the alleged exclusions.
The Trinamool Congress filed a complaint against Moitra in Diamond Harbour on 30 September after her post circulated on social media. The cybercrime squad later summoned her for questioning on 2 October, citing defamation of a public figure. The summons follows the complaint alleging that she falsely accused senior officers of religious discrimination.
UN Special Rapporteur Levrat will investigate the allegations, requesting CCTV footage, tour diaries and other records from the Home Ministry. He also asked the Indian government to clarify the authority behind the alleged exclusions and to ensure that no officer is denied participation on religious grounds. The investigation will be reported to the Human Rights Council.
The investigation is expected to conclude by mid‑October, after which the UN will release its findings. Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has yet to issue a formal response, and the case is likely to prompt scrutiny of the ministry’s protocols during ministerial visits. The outcome may influence future conduct of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's state visits.