Mahua Moitra under fire over controversial remark against Amit Shah

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has courted controversy with her purported remarks stating that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s head should be “cut off” and “put on the table” for failing to curb illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. Her remarks drew a sharp retort from the BJP, which dubbed her remarks as “distasteful” and asked whether it was the TMC’s official stand.

Slams Centre over infiltration issue

The controversy started with a video of Moitra speaking to reporters on Thursday (August 28) on the sidelines of an event in West Bengal’s Nadia district. Moitra accused the Centre of dodging its responsibilities on border security.

The TMC MP purportedly said that the Centre was repeatedly raising the issue of infiltration, adding that India’s borders were protected by five forces, which are directly under the Home Ministry.

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Attack on Shah

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, Moitra said while Modi at Red Fort said infiltrators were causing demographic changes, Shah sat in the front row smiling and clapping.

"Standing at Red Fort, the PM himself said infiltrators are causing demographic changes. But even as he was saying this, his Home Minister was standing in the front row, smiling and clapping,” said Moitra .

She also said that if Indian citizens were complaining about infiltrators posing a threat to the safety of women and were grabbing Indian lands, then the first thing to be done is to cut off Shah’s head and put it on a table.

"If we don't have anyone to protect our borders, if people from another country are entering every day, if our citizens complain that infiltrators are eyeing our mothers and sisters and snatching our lands, then the first thing you should do is cut Amit Shah's head and put it on your table,” she said.

Also Read: MP Kalyan Banerjee slams Mahua Moitra after TMC accepts resignation

'Home Minister can’t protect borders'

"When the home ministry and home minister cannot protect the nation's borders, and the PM himself says infiltrators are troubling our people, then who is at fault? Is it our fault? Or yours?” said Moitra as quoted by PTI.

According to the PTI report, Moitra also questioned why infiltration continues despite the presence of the Border Security Force along the frontier. The report further stated that the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

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BJP slams Moitra

The BJP lashed out at Moitra over her remarks on Shah. "The distasteful and objectionable remarks only reflect the mindset of the person and the TMC. We would like to know, is the official line of the TMC, if not they must tender an apology and initiate action against Moitra," BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that the TMC was speaking in the language of ISIS. “Trinamool Congress, speaking the language of ISIS, is talking about beheading the country's Home Minister in the matter of Rohingya and illegal intruders. What kind of mentality is this? Jihadi terrorists think like this. Trinamool Congress leaders talk of civil war and bloodshed when it comes to removing intruders. That is why it is also called the 'Ghupaithi Bachao Alliance', “he said as quoted by ANI.

Her comments have triggered a furore, with the BJP filing a complaint in Krishnanagar's Kotwali police station. Local resident Sandeep Majumdar lodged the complaint, reported PTI.

(With agency inputs)