TMC MP Mahua Moitra in trouble? Bengal court issues arrest warrant in hate speech case

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra is facing an arrest warrant after a court in West Bengal’s Nadia district ordered the action on Wednesday over her repeated failure to appear in an alleged hate speech case. The Krishnagar court has asked police to submit a report on the execution of the warrant by August 28.

The development comes amid a separate dispute between Moitra and Nadia district officials over her alleged late-night removal from a circuit house in Krishnanagar, a matter on which she has approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a privilege notice.

Why has a Bengal court issued an arrest warrant against Mahua Moitra?

The 3rd Judicial Magistrate at the Krishnanagar court ordered the arrest warrant after noting that Mahua Moitra had failed to appear despite repeated summonses.

The judge had directed the TMC MP on Tuesday to appear before the court on Wednesday, but she did not attend. The court said her repeated failure to comply left it with no alternative but to issue the warrant.

"The series of disobedience of the order of this court .... goes to show the lackadaisical approach of the accused to comply with the court order and accordingly this court is left with no other option but to issue a warrant of arrest against her," the court said.

The judge also recorded that Moitra’s lawyer had indicated that she would not appear before the court at any point, which the court interpreted as showing "No respect for the court of law".

Her lawyer, however, told the court that there were concerns she could be heckled outside the court premises if she appeared in person.

What is the hate speech case against Mahua Moitra?

The complaint against Mahua Moitra alleges that she insulted women and made statements amounting to hate speech. Pre-cognisance summons had previously been issued to her in connection with the case.

A senior Krishnanagar police official said the complaint invokes provisions relating to insulting the modesty of a woman, promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings, criminal intimidation and hate speech.

The court has now directed that an execution report on the arrest warrant be placed before it on August 28.

Mahua Moitra’s separate row with Bengal officials

The arrest warrant comes shortly after Mahua Moitra raised another issue involving Nadia district authorities. She has moved a privilege notice before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Nadia District Magistrate Srikant Palli, Additional District Magistrate Nirpendra Singh and Nazareth Deputy Collector Anamika Bera.

Moitra has accused the officials of violating parliamentary protocol after she was asked to leave the Nadia Circuit House late on August 14.

According to her notice, Moitra arrived at the circuit house at around 6.15 pm and was allotted her usual room. She said tea was served at 7 pm and dinner at 9.20 pm before she received a call at 9.47 pm from the additional district magistrate asking her to vacate the premises.

She said she was told that the "order had come from the top". At 10.52 pm, she received a WhatsApp message containing an August 12 order stating that the circuit house would be unavailable from the evening of August 14 because of annual maintenance and cleaning.

Moitra questioned why she had not been informed earlier, particularly because the room had been prepared for her and staff had continued to provide services after she checked in.

Mahua Moitra alleges harassment and protocol breach

In her complaint to the Speaker, Mahua Moitra alleged that the late-night eviction was part of a broader attempt to obstruct her parliamentary duties. She also raised concerns about a crowd gathering outside the circuit house later that night.

She claimed that at least four rooms were occupied by government officials and alleged that there was no visible cleaning or maintenance activity that would explain the sudden request for her departure.

Moitra also cited the Ministry of Home Affairs' Order of Precedence, arguing that MPs visiting their constituencies are entitled to official accommodation under established protocol.

"A woman MP, staying alone, being asked to vacate her rightful accommodation at 9.47 pm and then again at 10.52 pm not only gravely violates her rights, but brings into question the safety and security accorded to women by the ruling dispensation," she said.

She has asked Om Birla to refer the matter to the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee and sought an advisory to the West Bengal chief secretary directing the Nadia administration to provide her the protocol extended to MPs, including access to the circuit house during visits to her constituency.