The Supreme Court on October 1 sought formal responses from the West Bengal government and other concerned parties regarding a plea filed by Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra. The lawmaker, who represents the Krishnanagar constituency, has challenged her alleged expulsion from a government circuit house situated in Nadia. According to her petition, district administrative officials forcibly pushed her out of the state-owned facility despite the fact that a room had been legitimately allocated to her under official procedures.
Court Sets Strict Timeline for Formal Pleadings
The legal matter was placed before a bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing both the central and state authorities, informed the bench that an official reply to the petition would be submitted. Taking note of the submissions, the bench ordered that the counter-affidavit be filed within one week. The judges further directed that Moitra will have another week to submit her rejoinder once the response is on record, after which the registry will schedule the matter for regular hearing.
Social Media Account of August 14 Night Incident
The controversy stems from an incident that occurred on the night of August 14, which the parliamentarian had detailed in a public post on social media. She stated that an extensive crowd had gathered outside the premises of the circuit house during the night hours. Moitra claimed that when she refused to vacate the assigned government accommodation, individuals in the crowd began chanting slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram', escalating pressure on her to leave the premises.
Representation Submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker
Prior to approaching the apex judiciary, the Krishnanagar lawmaker had escalated the issue to parliamentary authorities by writing directly to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. In her letter, she sought his urgent intervention against what she described as attempts by the Nadia district administration to coerce her into vacating the room. She reiterated that the accommodation within the state-owned complex was officially sanctioned for her stay. The dispute has now transitioned to the highest judicial forum, where the state administration must account for its administrative actions.
