Raipur, 31 Aug

An FIR has been registered in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra over her remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, officials said on Friday.

The FIR, based on a complaint by local resident Gopal Samanto, cites sections 196 (promoting enmity between groups) and 197 (imputations prejudicial to national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Samanto alleged Moitra’s comments were objectionable, unconstitutional and capable of disturbing social harmony, particularly in view of the Bangladeshi refugee population settled in Raipur’s Mana Camp since 1971.

Moitra, speaking in Bengali during a media interaction in Nadia district, had said Shah should be held accountable for illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and allegedly remarked that “the first thing you should do is cut Amit Shah's head and put it on your table.”

The BJP condemned the statement, calling it a “distasteful and hate remark” and accusing the TMC of normalising violent political language. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai demanded action against Moitra from West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, while Congress leader TS Singh Deo also criticised the remark.

Moitra defended herself, calling the statement figurative and accusing the BJP of overreacting. She reiterated that border security falls under the Union Home Ministry and said the Centre must be accountable for infiltration issues raised by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address.

Moitra, expelled from the Lok Sabha in December 2023 following a cash-for-query case, has previously courted controversy with sharp remarks against the BJP leadership. The latest incident has triggered fresh political sparring, with demands for accountability and legal scrutiny.