‘Why fear eggs in politics?’ SC tells Mauha freedom fighter took bullets to chest

With the bench indicating that it would not grant relief, Mahua Moitra’s counsel withdrew the petition. (File photo)

NEW DELHI: “You are a member of Parliament. Having taken the plunge into politics, you fear eggs? When our freedom fighters have taken bullets on their chest?” the Supreme Court remarked on Friday while refusing to entertain Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra’s plea against a Calcutta high court order directing her to appear before police in connection with a hate speech case.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu said it was not inclined to interfere with the high court’s direction requiring the Krishnanagar MP to join the investigation.Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Moitra, argued that she should be allowed to appear before the investigating officer virtually as she was entitled to do so under the law.”The requirement as per the police’s notice is to be at the police station in my own constituency. Last time I went there two things happened. First there were threats that eggs will be thrown etc. and second time eggs were actually thrown,” he submitted.The bench, however, was unconvinced and orally observed, “You are a member of Parliament. Having taken the plunge into politics, you fear eggs?”When our freedom fighters have taken bullets on their chest? These are applications that should not come before this court at all,” it added, according to news agency PTI. With the bench indicating that it would not grant relief, Moitra’s counsel withdrew the petition, following which it was dismissed as withdrawn.The plea challenged a July 21 order of the Calcutta High Court, which had granted Moitra interim protection from coercive action until October 5 in the hate speech case, while directing her to cooperate with the investigation.

The MP has claimed the case registered at Hogolberia Police Station in Nadia district is based on fabricated allegations. She had sought the quashing of the proceedings and protection from any coercive action by the police.Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya of the Calcutta high court had directed Moitra to appear before the investigating officer on August 14 for questioning and ordered that no coercive steps be taken against her until October 5, subject to her complying with the investigation.The high court had noted that the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita invoked against Moitra carry a maximum punishment of less than seven years, making her eligible for protection from coercive action as long as she cooperates with the probe.The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing before the high court again on October 1.