It took an angry and outraged MP Mahua Moitra to push her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Congress out of slumber in the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations.
Till the second round of meeting of the ethics committee, both the TMC and the Congress, where Moitra has some good friends, preferred to remain silent and not back her. All this changed when Moitra came out shouting on Thursday, saying she was asked filthy and humiliatingly personal questions.
What happened later is significant. It has changed the goalposts.
#WATCH | Delhi: Opposition parties MPs including TMC MP Mahua Moitra and BSP MP Danish Ali, walked out from the Parliament Ethics Committee meeting. TMC MP Mahua Moitra appeared before the Parliament Ethics Committee in connection with the 'cash for query' charge against her. pic.twitter.com/EkwYLPnD1O
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2023
Within an hour, TMC fielded Shashi Panja, who is also women and child development minister in Bengal government, to outrage over the treatment meted out to Moitra at the panel meet. “They asked personal questions and insulted her. She walked out. This shows the mentality of a party which talks about beti bachao beti padhao," said Panja.
Not just the TMC, even Congress leaders like Pramod Tewari criticised the action. “The panel insulted a woman," he said.
BJP destroyed all institutions. The sick perverted misogyny displayed by the Chairman of “Ethics" Comm reading from prepared script shows how low they can fall to target political adversaries. pic.twitter.com/hZ76pi6EVf— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) November 3, 2023
TMC’s POLITICAL COMPULSION
The support for Moitra is embedded in political compulsion. With all parties pitching for women votes, Moitra’s anguish and anger could no longer be ignored, especially by the TMC.
The TMC has always boasted of the fact that it is headed by the only woman chief minister in the country — Mamata Banerjee — and that as the women’s reservation bill has been passed by the Centre, it has sent maximum women MPs to Parliament, more than any other party.
This apart, the turnaround moment in the bitterly fought Bengal polls was the ‘didi o didi’, which the TMC quickly used to its favour, by accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being anti-women. A series of animation films were released to show Banerjee as a tigress fighting wolves and demons.
Having played this card, the TMC had to look into Moitra’s complaint.
CONG’s WOMEN CARD
Same is the case with the Congress, which is fighting the heated state polls also on the women card. “How could Priyanka Vadra be pitched as the strong woman face of the Congress and campaigner had the Congress remained silent on the Mahua Moitra issue," asked an insider.
But this support is conditional. In case Moitra faces stern action and charges against her are proved with hard evidence, it will be tough for both the Congress and TMC to stand by her.
It may then be back to square one for her. For now, she has friends and supporters.
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