Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has been summoned by the Diamond Harbour cybercrime police in connection with a case alleging that one of her social media posts had the potential to promote communal discord.
The Krishnanagar MP has been asked to appear before the cybercrime department at 11 am on Saturday, September 5. Police said the case was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including non-bailable sections.
Case Over Post on Muslim IAS, IPS Officers
According to police, the case was registered following a complaint by a resident of Diamond Harbour over a post shared by Moitra on X on September 1.
In the post, Moitra alleged that several Muslim IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal were deliberately excluded from a programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in north Bengal.
She named Siliguri Police Commissioner Waquar Raja, STF Director General Javed Shamim and IAS officer Khalil Ahmed, and questioned whether they had been excluded because of their religion.
A senior police official said the complainant alleged that Moitra’s post had the potential to promote communal discord.
The case has been registered under Sections 196, 197, 299 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These provisions deal, among other things, with promoting enmity between groups, acts affecting national integration and public harmony, deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and circulation of statements or information that may cause public mischief.
Moitra has not publicly responded to the latest summons so far.
Moitra Faces Another Similar Case
The summons comes days after Moitra appeared before Hogalbari Police Station in Nadia in connection with another case involving allegations of promoting communal hatred. She was questioned by police for more than an hour in that matter.
The latest development comes amid political tensions in West Bengal, with Moitra remaining aligned with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.
The Calcutta High Court had also recently directed the West Bengal Police to provide adequate armed security to Moitra after she was allegedly targeted with eggs during a visit to her Krishnanagar constituency.
