Should Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra be Censured by Bengal CM?

Kolkata, Sep 5 (IANA) A prominent organization representing the Matua community in West Bengal, led by a member of the Trinamool Congress from the Rajya Sabha, has addressed a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting the censure of party MP Mahua Moitra due to her recent negative remarks regarding the community.

Moitra serves as the Lok Sabha representative for the Krishnanagar constituency in the Nadia district.

In their correspondence to the Chief Minister, the All India Matua Mahasangh, under the leadership of Mamata Bala Thakur, also called for Moitra to publicly apologize for her comments, which they assert have offended the sentiments of the Matua people.

Interestingly, while Mamata Bala Thakur is a member of the community, she did not pen the letter herself; rather, it was authored by the Mahasangh's General Secretary, Sukesh Chowdhury.

Earlier this week, the Mahasangh publicly criticized Moitra for her anti-Matua statements and reiterated their demand for a formal apology.

“We had previously communicated our request to Moitra through the media, urging her to retract her statements and provide an unconditional apology. However, she has yet to comply. Thus, we have reached out to the Chief Minister on behalf of the All India Matua Mahasangh. We trust that the Chief Minister will take action and reprimand Mahua for disrespecting the religious sentiments of the Matuas,” remarked Sukesh Chowdhury.

At a recent gathering in Krishnanagar, Moitra commented on the voting inclinations of the Matua community towards the BJP.

“What kind of behavior is this? You support the Trinamool Congress throughout the year and then suddenly adopt a traditional Hindu persona before elections? When you require assistance, development projects, or infrastructure, you think of Mamata Banerjee. You come to collect benefits from various state programs, adorned with wooden bracelets. But what happens then? I anticipate that my speech will go viral. I genuinely do not care,” the Trinamool Congress MP stated during the public meeting.

The Matua community, classified as a Backward Class Hindu group, migrated to West Bengal as refugees from Bangladesh and established themselves in areas of Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts. This community has consistently supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Even in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while the Trinamool Congress celebrated victories in most constituencies across West Bengal, BJP candidates secured wins in both the Bangaon constituency in North 24 Parganas and the Ranaghat constituency in Nadia, which are both heavily populated by the Matua community.