MP,Oct.16,2025:SP Hina Khan chants Jai Shri Ram, in a moment that instantly went viral across news and social media. The Gwalior City Superintendent of Police Hina Khan used the religious slogan to defuse tension during a heated clash with lawyers over the installation of a Dr B.R. Ambedkar statue in the High Court premises-
In a scene rare and provocative, both sides ended up chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, in front of a crowd, turning a legal dispute spiraling into a religious symbol clash. What exactly happened, and what does it signal for law, order, and communal sensitivity?
The Ambedkar statue dispute that set the stage
The controversy began in February 2025 when some lawyers petitioned to install a 10-foot statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in the Gwalior Bench premises of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Their proposal was backed by a few senior advocates and a platform was built by PWD authorities.
Later, the High Court Bar Association opposed the plan, claiming procedural lapses — no communication with the Bar, no building committee permission. Tensions escalated, especially after lawyer Anil Mishra made objectionable remarks about Ambedkar in a video, prompting legal complaints.
When lawyers attempted a Sundarkand paath (scripture recital) protest in a temple near the High Court, authorities stepped in citing prohibitory orders (Section 163). It was in this charged context that the confrontation with SP Khan unfolded.
The confrontation unfolds- Lawyers vs SP Khan
Attempted gathering denied
Lawyers led by Anil Mishra arrived near the Hanuman temple, planning a Sundarkand recital and setting up a tent. But SP Khan, acting under prohibitory orders, blocked the event, returned the tent materials, and requested compliance with law.
When Mishra’s camp accused Khan of being “anti-Sanatan Dharma” and began chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, chaos began.
The moments that shocked everyone
- The lawyers called Khan “anti-Sanatan,” raising a religious charge in a law and order dispute.
- Khan walked up, sustained eye contact, raised her fist, and chanted “Jai Shri Ram” four times.
- She addressed the crowd: “If you raise the slogan, so will I … But if you do it to put pressure, that is wrong.”
- The lawyers were stunned; chatter subsided, forced pause in confrontation.
- Khan later told media she was “saddened” by the accusation and said she acted to restore calm, not to provoke.
In effect: SP Hina Khan chants Jai Shri Ram became both a defying assertion and a symbolic gesture to break tension.
SP Hina Khan’s response- Why she joined the chant
A strategic and emotional move
Khan later explained her action was not planned rhetoric, but a spontaneous expression: “It was a feeling from my heart.” She said her first aim was to defuse the situation and maintain peace and law and order.
She also said that as an officer, her duty requires preventing escalation: “My goal was to ensure nothing happens that worsens the situation.”
Her background adds weight to the act
Khan hails from Guna district, originally from Aron tehsil. Her father was a retired teacher and her mother is a homemaker. She studied physiotherapy, briefly worked in the GST department as Assistant Commercial Tax Officer, and later joined the police via MPPSC in 2016, serving from 2018 onward.
This context — a Muslim woman officer choosing a Hindu chant in a sensitive scenario — magnifies the symbolic import of SP Hina Khan chants Jai Shri Ram.
lawyers, public, political voices
Lawyers and Anil Mishra’s stance
Mishra and his cohort claimed that Khan’s chanting was coerced or theatrics: she rang the chants under pressure. They asserted their Sundarkand recital and temple access were blocked.
Mishra said the temple was locked, participants blocked from entry, and protest was their only recourse.
Public and civil society response
Across social media and local public opinion, reactions ranged from applause to sarcasm. Many praised Khan’s calm and bold move; others criticized mixing religion into policing.
Several noted the rarity of a police officer chanting religious slogans in an operational context, particularly in a charged environment.
Political voices and media
The episode triggered wider debate: why would an SP join slogans? Was it law enforcement overreach or smart crowd control?
Media houses highlighted the clash of law vs religious assertion and questioned whether policing should remain secular in practice. Reports from Times of India: Khan’s chanting “calms lawyers.” Other media pointed to the accusation of being “anti-Sanatan” that triggered the move.
The incident is being framed as a microcosm of larger tensions over religion, authority, and symbolism in India.
Slogan politics, law enforcement, and symbolism
When slogans enter policing
A chant like “Jai Shri Ram” carries heavy religious and political overtones in India. Its invocation by a state official in a law-and-order context blurs lines between civic duty and symbolic alignment.
Yet, Khan’s usage may also reflect a tactical decision — using shared religious lexicon to pacify a charged crowd. It is a gamble: it can calm or inflame.
Defusing vs provoking
Given the crowd had already begun chants, Khan matching them might have signalled affirmation or control. Her follow-up line — “If you do it to pressure me, that is wrong” — attempts to draw a boundary.
So SP Hina Khan chants Jai Shri Ram functioned as both mirror and distinction: matching the crowd, yet denying coercion.
Impact on secular policing norms
Critics could argue that police must maintain religious neutrality; officials overtly adopting religious slogans risks favouring one group’s sentiment. Supporters will say in this instance it was situational — not ideological.
The episode tests the balance: maintaining secular institutional ethos while navigating emotionally charged religious flashpoints.
Symbolism in the Ambedkar dispute
Given the dispute centred on Ambedkar’s statue (a Dalit icon), the chanting of Jai Shri Ram layers additional symbolism. It juxtaposes Hindu symbol against Dr Ambedkar’s legacy, intensifying emotions.
Implications for communal balance and policing norms
Precedents and future policing
This moment may serve as a precedent — where state officers may feel emboldened (or pressured) to use religious symbolism in public confrontation. Future incidents may test whether Khan’s act was exception or turning point.
Communal sensitivity risks
In a diverse society, religious slogans in official action risk alienating sections. If a Muslim officer chants “Jai Shri Ram,” some see it as bridging, others as symbolic compulsion.
It raises questions: would she similarly have chanted in a dispute with another religious group? The optics matter immensely.
Political echo chambers
Opposition or ideological critics will use the incident to claim institutional bias or performative allegiance. Supporters will hail it as courageous and even unifying.
Thus, SP Hina Khan chants Jai Shri Ram may become a touchstone in political debates about religious expression in public institutions.
After the chant, what lessons remain
When SP Hina Khan chants Jai Shri Ram in a live, tense standoff, it forces reflection on the intersection of religion, authority and civil order.
Her act defused immediate anger — but the deeper debates linger: the boundaries of policing neutrality, the role of symbolism amid communal tension, and whether slogans can be tools of peace or provocation.
India’s public institutions operate in a complex mosaic of identity, faith, and law. This episode will likely remain a reference point — not because of the chant itself, but because it spotlighted tensions many prefer remain implicit.
