Mahua Moitra was expelled from the House of Representatives in December last year.
Calcutta:
Senior TMC leader Mahua Moitra exudes confidence in securing her Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat with a bigger margin and feels her victory would be a fitting response to the ‘conspiracy’ to oust her from Lok Sabha last year and to tarnish its reputation through raids and summons by central agencies in a cash-for-query case.
She alleged that despite all the BJP’s attempts to “sound the death knell” for constitutional democracy, India is too big a country to be destroyed by the fascists.
Ms Moitra, who was re-nominated by the TMC from the same Krishnanagar seat after being expelled last year, accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of acting as “political agents of the saffron camp”.
In an interview with PTI, Ms Moitra said the Election Commission has “lost its independence” since commissioners are hand-picked by a selection committee in which the Center has a two-third majority.
“There is no doubt about my victory. What matters is how big the margin will be, which will be decided on June 4. I live here and have been among my people for the last five years and even before that as an MLA. So there is a very strong connection, and honestly there is no election mode here,” she said.
She won in the 2019 elections by a margin of more than 60,000 votes, gaining 45 percent of the total votes polled.
“My victory would be a fitting response to the conspiracy to expel me from the country and damage my reputation,” the 49-year-old politician said.
Ms Moitra, known for her outspokenness and fiery debates in the Lok Sabha, was expelled from the House in December last year after a parliamentary ethics committee report held her responsible for accepting gifts and illegal gratification.
The former JP Morgan Chase investment banker, who had described the Ethics Committee’s expulsion recommendation as a “pre-determined contest by a kangaroo court”, alleged that the BJP has tried to destroy democracy in the country.
“I have been saying this since my first speech in Parliament. The BJP is sounding the death knell for India as a constitutional democracy… But India is too great a country to be destroyed by these fascist thugs,” she said.
When asked why people from her constituency would believe her side of the story instead of the version propagated by the BJP, Ms Moitra said she is the daughter of the country.
“This is my Karmabhoomi and my Dharmabhoomi. My people will support me 100 percent,” she said.
Although the cash-for-query controversy brought an abrupt end to her first term as parliamentarian, it undeniably strengthened her stature within the party, with unwavering support from the TMC top leadership and the entire opposition.
Speaking about the CBI raids on her premises and the summonses by the Enforcement Directorate, which she has skipped, Ms Moitra claimed that these agencies are an integral part of the BJP.
The CBI raided her properties in connection with the cash-for-query case, following anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal’s directive following allegations by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, which she dismissed.
Moreover, the Enforcement Directorate has again summoned her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a case involving violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Ms Moitra recently filed a complaint with the EC alleging that the BJP was engaging the CBI and the ED to disrupt its campaign and tarnish its image before the elections, though she was skeptical that the poll panel would take any action in this regard issue would take place.
“The EC itself has now lost its independence. The commissioners are selected by a two-thirds majority of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior. Within 30 minutes, 200 names could be chosen (two election commissioners after the resignation of Arun Goel last month). The whole exercise is a farce,” she said.
The former MLA from the Karimpur seat in the West Bengal Assembly said opposition leaders and political parties are still writing to the EC because “we have to write it and record it for history, and that is also important”.
Asked whether, if re-elected, she would continue with the same zeal in attacking the saffron party on policy issues, Ms Moitra said: “What do you think… I will go back to my seat and sing paeans to the BJP? ” Ms Moitra had repeatedly questioned the Centre’s involvement in expanding the assets of a private conglomerate and had filed multiple cases in the Supreme Court challenging various policies of the Narendra Modi government.
On whether it is possible to defeat the BJP-led NDA as the opposition bloc INDIA is not finding enough traction in most states, Ms Moitra said: “The people are the ultimate decision maker. I have confidence in the people. It may be delayed, but it will happen.” The TMC leader said the implementation of the CAA rules will not have much impact in her constituency, which has a sizeable Matua population.
“The Matua people are in larger numbers in the neighboring seat of Ranaghat. Here we have a small percentage. But yes, Matua organizations themselves are telling their members not to apply for a CAA and label themselves as illegal aliens as they have been enjoying all the state benefits for the past few years,” she said.
Ms Moitra referred to the directive of All India Matua Mahasangha which advises its members to refrain from filing citizenship applications due to lack of necessary documents proving their previous residential address in Bangladesh.
When asked about her opinion about her opponent from the saffron camp, ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy of the Krishnanagar royal family, she said the candidate is of no importance to her.
“My fight is against the BJP symbol. I care least who they put there. The results will be visible on June 4,” she said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)