Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking his intervention after alleging that the Nadia district administration attempted to evict her from a Circuit House in Krishnanagar late at night despite having initially allotted her a room. The Krishnanagar MP raised concerns over the safety and dignity of women parliamentarians and indicated that she could approach the Calcutta High Court over the episode.
According to Moitra, she checked into the Circuit House at around 6.15 pm on Friday and was given her usual room. She said tea and dinner were also served to her. However, she alleged that an additional district magistrate called her at 9.47 pm and asked her to vacate the Circuit House, claiming that the instruction had “come from the top”.
Moitra said she subsequently received a WhatsApp message at 10.52 pm containing an order stating that the Circuit House would remain unavailable from the evening of August 14 because of maintenance and cleaning work. The order, she said, exempted reservations that had been confirmed before August 13. Questioning the sequence of events, the TMC MP asked why she had been allotted a prepared room and served food if the restriction was already in force, and why the request to leave came only late at night.
Moitra further alleged that around 11 pm, a crowd assembled outside the Circuit House and raised “Jai Shree Ram” slogans after she refused to leave. She described the situation as threatening, pointing out that the Circuit House is located opposite the residences of the district magistrate and superintendent of police.
There was no immediate response from the Nadia district administration to the allegations.
In her letter to Birla, Moitra argued that MPs are entitled to Circuit House accommodation while visiting their constituencies and said asking a woman parliamentarian staying alone to vacate late at night raised serious security concerns. She urged the Speaker to intervene to protect the dignity of women parliamentarians. Moitra also referred to the Women's Reservation Bill, arguing that increasing women's representation in Parliament must be accompanied by assurances of basic safety and protection.
The TMC MP said she was considering moving a privilege motion in the Lok Sabha and could also approach the Calcutta High Court. The incident drew criticism from several Opposition leaders. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Congress leader Pawan Khera and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the alleged attempt to remove Moitra from the Circuit House.