Kolkata policewoman's dance with SRK draws criticism

Politicians Sunday criticised a woman police officer for dancing in uniform alongside Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at an event here.

They pointed fingers at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who was also present.

Sub-inspector Sampa Haldar was seen dancing to a popular number from the Khan-starrer "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" as a host of top police officers and Banerjee watched from the gallery at "Jai Ho", the Kolkata Police's annual cultural programme at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here Saturday.

Former city police Commissioner Nirupam Som said the officer has belittled the sanctity of the police uniform.

"During my tenure, I would not have allowed any officer to dance like that and belittle the sanctity of the uniform. I would have no problems had she danced in civil clothes. I wonder how the superiors allowed that," Som said Sunday.

Former IPS officer Samir Gangopadhyay too said the police regulations did not allow any personnel to dance in uniform.

"Going by what we saw yesterday (Saturday), I am afraid that we might see our officers dancing like Chulbul Pandey," said Gangopadhyay, referring to a Salman Khan-starrer movie where the star portrays a police inspector.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused Banerjee of defying the constitution by allowing the officer to dance in uniform.

"The constitution doesn't allow any person to dance like that in uniform. It's a shame that the sanctity of police uniform was allowed to be violated. By allowing the officer to dance like that, she (Banerjee) violated the constitution of India," said Chowdhury.

With a bevy of actors and actresses being a regular feature of government and Trinamool Congress-organised programmes, BJP state president Rahul Sinha said Banerjee's entry into politics was a mistake.

"Going by her eagerness to involve film stars in each and every programme, it seems our chief minister has wrongly entered politics. The sooner she realises that and quits politics, the better it will be for the people of Bengal," said Sinha.