What Led TMC MP Mahua Moitra to Seek Help from Lok Sabha Speaker Amid Controversy?

TMC MP Mahua Moitra's Disturbing Experience at Circuit House

Kolkata: TMC Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra has reached out to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting his intervention regarding the Nadia district administration's alleged attempt to evict her from a circuit house. This situation arose after she was initially assigned a room at the state-owned facility.

The MP from Krishnanagar has indicated that she may take legal action due to what she describes as harassment, claiming that a large group gathered outside the circuit house on Friday night, chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans after she refused to vacate.

In her letter to Birla, she urged immediate attention to the issue, emphasizing the need to uphold the dignity of women parliamentarians nationwide.

Moitra pointed out that any Women's Reservation Bill aimed at increasing female representation would be meaningless unless the Speaker's office can safeguard the 74 women who have overcome significant challenges to serve in Parliament.

After attending a Parliament session, Moitra checked into the circuit house for an overnight stay, asserting her entitlement as an MP to remain there. However, she claims district officials pressured her to leave late at night, allegedly to intimidate her.

She recounted that she entered her room around 6:15 PM, where staff had prepared everything for her stay. She was served tea at 7 PM and dinner at 9:20 PM.

At 9:47 PM, she received a call from the additional district magistrate of Nadia, who informed her that she needed to vacate. When she inquired about the reason, he mentioned that the 'order had come from above' and he was merely relaying the message.

Later, at 10:52 PM, she received a WhatsApp message from the district administration containing an order stating that no new reservations would be honored at the circuit house.

Moitra had previously shared the order she received from the Nazareth deputy collector of Nadia on her social media platforms.

The document indicated that the Nadia circuit house would be unavailable for service from the evening of August 14, 2026, until further notice, with exceptions for reservations made before August 13, 2026.

In her correspondence with the Lok Sabha Speaker, Moitra expressed that she was not informed about any booking restrictions when she made her reservation or upon checking in.

She questioned why the administration waited until 10 PM to request her departure and only sent the order at 10:52 PM.

Moitra reported hearing a disturbance around 11 PM and realized a large crowd had gathered outside the gates, 'baying for my blood.'

She noted that while the administration pressured her to leave, a mob was forming outside, chanting slogans and waiting for her to exit.

The MP highlighted that the circuit house, located near the residences of both the district superintendent of police and the district magistrate, should be a secure area where crowds should not gather, let alone a lynch mob.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, MPs are ranked 21st in terms of security preference, even above state chief secretaries and Union Territory chief ministers. Moitra argued that an MP should be accommodated in the circuit house while visiting her constituency and cannot be asked to leave.

She emphasized that asking a woman MP to vacate her rightful accommodation at 9:47 PM not only violates her rights but also raises concerns about the safety and security of women under the current administration.

Earlier during the incident, Moitra shared a video message on social media, stating, 'The Supreme Court had instructed me to engage with the public like a freedom fighter, and I am doing just that,' reaffirming her determination not to back down.

She referenced the Supreme Court's remarks regarding a petition she filed seeking protection from repeated attacks and harassment directed at TMC leaders.

Moitra mentioned that the Calcutta High Court had assured her of protection from the district administration, which she claims is now the same authority ordering her eviction.

She is contemplating filing a privilege motion in the Lok Sabha and considering legal action in the Calcutta High Court.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee criticized the Bengal government, describing the incident as indicative of the Suvendu Adhikari administration's 'insecurity.'

'A woman MP is ordered out of a Circuit House in the middle of the night. Tomorrow, BJP leaders will stand before the nation and speak about women's empowerment,' he remarked on social media.

'You cannot celebrate Nari Shakti on a stage while using state power to intimidate a woman who challenges you. That is not authority; it is insecurity. When a government becomes so insecure that basic dignity becomes political, it diminishes itself, not the woman it seeks to humiliate,' he added.

The incident has also drawn sharp criticism from leaders in the Opposition, including Congress's Pawan Khera and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

As of now, there has been no official response from the Nadia district authorities regarding the situation.