As Nishikant Dubey vs Mahua Moitra row rages, silent TMC in ‘wait and watch’ mode

Dismissing his charges, Moitra said the Speaker should first probe the “multiple breach of privileges pending against Dubey and other BJP leaders” before initiating any motion against her. In March this year, she had sought the termination of Dubey’s Lok Sabha membership, alleging that his MBA and PhD degrees were “fake”.

Seizing on the row, the West Bengal BJP demanded an immediate probe against Moitra, the MP from the state’s Krishnanagar constituency.

Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said Monday, “The allegations (against Moitra) are serious. The Privileges Committee (of the Lok Sabha) should do an immediate investigation of this because the duration of Parliament is going to end in the next few months.”

However, so far the TMC leadership has kept mum, treading cautiously over the matter. A senior TMC leader said, “We have adopted a wait and watch stand on this issue. Moitra is taking necessary steps on Dubey’s allegation. So, we are closely watching the situation.”
Significantly, another rival of the TMC, the CPI(M), has taken a softer line towards Moitra. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “We have no problems if an investigation is initiated in the ‘cash for query’ allegation. But, simultaneously, we should note that Moitra has always taken a strong stand against the BJP. She might be targeted because of it – that should also be kept in mind.”

Moitra’s relation with the TMC leadership has not always been smooth.

In July last year, when a controversy erupted over Moitra’s statement on Goddess Kali, the BJP lodged several complaints with the police against her for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus and demanded her arrest.

Unperturbed by the BJP’s attack, Moitra dismissed its charges as baseless, maintaining that she was not afraid of the saffron party.

The TMC had then however “strongly condemned” Moitra’s views on Goddess Kali, saying that they were made by the MP in “her personal capacity” and were “not endorsed by the party”. A day after the party distanced itself from her, Moitra “unfollowed” the official Twitter handle of the TMC.

In December 2021, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had pulled up Moitra at a public meeting in Krishnanagar, while expressing displeasure at growing factionalism within the party ranks in Nadia district. “Mahua, let me give you a clear message here. I don’t need to see who is against whom, but when there is an election, the party will decide who will fight and who won’t. So, there should be no disagreement here,” Mamata had said.

“There is no reason to imagine that the same person will be in the same position forever,” Mamata had added. Moitra, who was earlier removed as the party’s Nadia district president, was seated on the stage just behind the CM.