The BJP cannot stand Mahua Moitra because she cannot be cowered down, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday while campaigning for the party’s Krishnanagar Lok Sabha candidate.
“You had elected Mahua Moitra to the Parliament. Did the BJP have any right to expel her,” the Chief Minister asked voters in Nadia while raising the expulsion of Ms. Moitra from the Lok Sabha over cash-for-query allegations.
Ms. Moitra was expelled from the Parliament in January after the Ethics Committee had found her guilty of “unethical conduct” and contempt of the House by sharing her Lok Sabha member portal credentials with unauthorised persons. Soon after the expulsion, the Trinamool had announced that Ms. Moitra will contest the election from Krishnanagar.
“They (BJP) cannot stand Mahua Moitra because she replies on their face and cannot be cowered down,” Ms. Banerjee said, adding that on Friday BJP leaders will visit the constituency and “tell lies”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address a public meeting at Tehatta in Nadia district on Friday in favour of the BJP candidate.
The Chief Minister raised the issue of suspension of 150 MPs from the Parliament and said majority does not mean using brute force. She accused the Centre of attempting to marginalise SCs, STs, and OBCs.
Ms. Banerjee also addressed the Matua community and said the BJP is going to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) which will not benefit all. The BJP government at the Centre has notified Rules of the CAA which aims to provide citizenship to Matuas who have migrated to India from Bangladesh.
“Prime Minister Modi is lying about the benefits of UCC that it will help everybody. Instead, if UCC is implemented, it will put at stake the existence of SCs, STs and OBCs. BJP will destroy the Constitution. But rest assured, we will not let it happen,” she said.
Krishnanagar, from where Ms. Moitra is contesting, has a significant Matua population. The BJP has fielded Amitra Roy, who hails from the royal family of Krishnanagar. Ms. Moitra had won 2019 Lok Sabha election by a margin of over 60,000 votes from her nearest BJP rival. The CPI(M) has fielded S M Saadi from the constituency.
Krishnanagar will vote in the fourth phase on May 13.
