Mahua Moitra Circuit House Row: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has alleged that the Nadia district administration asked her to leave a government Circuit House in Krishnanagar late at night, hours after she had checked in and been provided meals.
The Krishnanagar MP subsequently wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking his intervention and raising concerns over the safety and dignity of women MPs. She has also indicated that she could explore legal action in the Calcutta High Court and consider seeking parliamentary intervention through a privilege motion.
The incident has since triggered a political debate over the treatment and security of elected representatives staying in government accommodation.
What Happened at the Nadia Circuit House?
According to Mahua Moitra’s account, she reached the Nadia Circuit House at around 6:15 pm on Friday after attending Parliament proceedings.
She said she was allotted her regular room, which had already been prepared for her stay. She was reportedly served tea at approximately 7 pm, followed by dinner at around 9:20 pm.
The situation changed later that evening.
At about 9:47 pm, Moitra said she received a phone call from the Additional District Magistrate of Nadia, asking her to vacate the Circuit House.
When she questioned the reason for the sudden instruction, she alleged that the officer told her the direction had “come from the top” and that he was simply communicating the order.
Why Was She Asked to Leave?
Moitra said she subsequently received a WhatsApp message from the district administration at around 10:52 pm.
The communication reportedly stated that the Nadia Circuit House would remain unavailable from the evening of August 14 because of scheduled maintenance, cleaning and upkeep work.
However, the order also reportedly mentioned that reservations confirmed before August 13 would not be affected.
This provision forms a key part of Moitra’s complaint.
She questioned why she was permitted to check into the Circuit House, given a prepared room and served both tea and dinner if the premises had already been placed under a restriction.
She also questioned why the administration did not inform her before her arrival if she was not permitted to stay there.
Mahua Moitra Alleges Crowd Gathered Outside
Moitra further alleged that a crowd assembled outside the Circuit House at approximately 11 pm after she declined to leave.
According to her account, people shouted “Jai Shree Ram” slogans during the incident.
The MP described the situation as intimidating, particularly because she was staying at the government facility alone.
She also pointed out that the Circuit House is located opposite the official residences of the Nadia District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, which she argued should have made the premises a relatively secure location.
Why Did Mahua Moitra Write to Om Birla?
Moitra sought the intervention of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, arguing that MPs are entitled to use Circuit House accommodation when travelling within their constituencies.
She said the request to make a woman MP staying alone leave government accommodation late at night raised serious questions about security, dignity and protocol for women parliamentarians.
In her letter, Moitra asked the Speaker to intervene and ensure that women MPs across the country are treated with appropriate dignity and provided adequate protection.
She also referred to the Women’s Reservation Bill, arguing that increasing women’s representation in Parliament would have limited meaning if elected women representatives could not be assured basic safety while carrying out their public duties.
Shashi Tharoor Expresses Support
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also came out in support of Moitra.
Tharoor argued that if a crowd was allegedly intimidating or targeting an elected representative, the government’s responsibility should be to provide protection rather than ask her to vacate government accommodation.
He questioned the decision to ask Moitra to leave, particularly given the alleged presence of a crowd outside the premises.
His intervention added another political dimension to the controversy, with the incident drawing attention to the broader issue of security and treatment of women MPs.
What Happens Next?
Moitra has indicated that she could consider approaching the Calcutta High Court and may also explore a privilege motion in Parliament over the incident.
For now, the controversy centres on competing questions: why Moitra was permitted to check in and stay for several hours if the Circuit House was unavailable, why she was asked to leave late at night, and whether adequate security arrangements were provided after the alleged crowd gathered outside.
The episode has consequently evolved from a dispute over government accommodation into a wider political discussion about parliamentary privilege, women’s safety and the responsibilities of district authorities towards elected representatives.