Krishnanagar people protected me like Krishna: Mahua Moitra in fiery LS speech

NEW DELHI: In a heated session of the Lok Sabha on Monday, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, calling out their failures and accusing them of suppressing dissent.

Moitra began her address by reminding the Prime Minister of his unsuccessful visits to her constituency, Krishnanagar, during the campaign period. “You came to my area twice during the campaign. Yeh bhi sunte jaaiye,” she said as Modi was leaving the House.

Moitra likened her political journey to Draupadi’s plight, asserting, “Seven months ago, on December 8, this House was transformed into Kurusabha, presided over by a blind Dhritrashtra, where Dushshashan darbaris made every attempt to disrobe Draupadi. The ethics committee, that voted to recommend my expulsion on November 9, they voted 6-4, had 10 members and one chairperson. Of the five Loksabha members from the BJP, four have not returned to the House, and the Chairperson, a BJP member has also not returned to the House… Much like Lord Krishna protected Draupadi, the people of Krishnanagar have protected me… I gained freedom from fear. I will see the end of you,” she said while fiercely attacking the BJP.

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Moitra claimed that the BJP’s decision to expel her from the previous Lok Sabha had backfired, costing them 63 seats in the general election. “The last time I stood here, I was not allowed to speak. But the ruling party has paid a heavy price for throttling the voice of one MP.”

She criticized the government for relying on allies with a history of reversals, calling it unstable despite the President’s Address claiming otherwise. “Please do not embarrass the office of the president by using poorly edited cut-and-paste versions of old speeches. This is not a stable government. It depends on multiple allies with a history of U-turns. It has not got a single majority. The BJP is 32 short of 272,” Moitra declared.

Highlighting the government’s failures, Moitra addressed the Northeast unrest, women’s underrepresentation, and the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir. She questioned why Manipur was not mentioned in the President’s speech, criticized the delay in implementing the Women Reservation Act, and called out the BJP for not fielding candidates in Kashmir despite their stance on Article 370.

Moitra accused the Election Commission of ignoring the Model Code of Conduct violations by the BJP, particularly the Prime Minister’s hate-filled speeches. “The commissioners turned a deaf ear to the most egregious violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the ruling party, by the Prime Minister with his hate-filled speeches. This country has been ashamed and disgusted by the language used against minorities during this campaign,” she said.

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Moitra also targeted the government’s handling of Indian Railways, citing the exorbitant cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project compared to the affordable Kavach anti-collision system. She highlighted recent train accidents and the government’s inadequate response.

In her critique of infrastructure projects, Moitra mentioned the recurring cave-ins at the newly constructed Rampath in Ayodhya and the issues at the Pragati Maidan tunnel and Atal Setu. “The newly constructed Rampath in Ayodhya has three cave-ins in the last week. The Pragati Maidan tunnel is flooded. The Atal Setu has developed cracks. The Ram Temple’s roof is leaking. This is exactly what happens when the infrastructure is poorly planned and rushed for a photo opportunity by the supreme leaders,” she remarked.

Concluding her speech, Moitra used Modi’s own words against him, “Ek akela, kitno pe bhari?” and stated, “Their 303 seats brute majority, the rajtantra (monarchy), has been reduced to 240 seats by the loktantra (democracy). They are still living in the age of the sengol.”

In a sharp rebuke, Moitra asserted that the BJP’s arrogance had been punished by the people, and the party’s defeat in Faizabad-Ayodhya — where Modi had consecrated the Ram temple — was a significant blow. “Aap ghus ke maarte theh, janta ne aapko ghus ke maar diya,” she concluded amid loud cheers from the Opposition benches.