Mahua Moitra booked under non-bailable BNS sections over communal hatred post
Synopsis
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has been booked under four non-bailable BNS sections — including promoting communal enmity and outraging religious feelings — over a social media post naming Muslim IPS and IAS officers she claimed were excluded from Amit Shah's North Bengal programme. It is her second police summons on similar charges within days, even as the Calcutta High Court separately ordered armed security for her.
Key Takeaways
Mahua Moitra , TMC MP from Krishnanagar , has been booked under non-bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on 3 September .
She is summoned to Diamond Harbour Cyber Crime Police Station , South 24 Parganas , at 11 am on 5 September .
The case stems from a 1 September social media post alleging Muslim IPS and IAS officers were excluded from Union Home Minister Amit Shah's North Bengal programme.
Registered sections include BNS 196, 197, 299, and 353 — covering communal enmity, false statements, and public mischief via social media.
This is Moitra's second police summons on similar charges in recent weeks; she was earlier questioned for over an hour at Hogalbari Police Station in Nadia .
The Calcutta High Court separately ordered West Bengal Police to provide her armed security after she was attacked with eggs in Krishnanagar .
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has been booked under multiple non-bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police confirmed on Thursday, 3 September. The Krishnanagar MP has been summoned to the Diamond Harbour Cyber Crime Police Station in South 24 Parganas district at 11 am on Saturday, 5 September, in connection with a social media post she made on 1 September.
The Post That Triggered the Case
On 1 September, Moitra posted on social media alleging that Muslim IPS and IAS officers of West Bengal were deliberately excluded from a programme hosted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in North Bengal. She named three officials — Siliguri Police Commissioner Waquar Raja, STF DG Javed Shamim, and IAS officer Khalil Ahmed — claiming minority bureaucrats and police officers were intentionally sidelined. The post sparked immediate controversy, with a complaint subsequently filed at the Diamond Harbour Cyber Crime Police Station alleging that the TMC MP was inciting communal hatred.
Sections Registered Against Moitra
According to police, the case has been registered under four sections of the BNS. Section 196 pertains to promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between groups based on religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, or community. Section 197 covers statements or false information that harm India's national integration, sovereignty, and public harmony. Section 299 addresses deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens. Section 353 covers the making, publishing, or circulating of false statements, rumours, or reports — including through electronic media and social platforms — that lead to public mischief.
A Pattern of Legal Scrutiny
This is not the first time Moitra has faced police action on similar grounds in recent weeks. A few days prior, the Krishnanagar MP was summoned to and questioned at Hogalbari Police Station in Nadia district for over an hour in a separate case also linked to alleged communal hatred. The latest summons marks a second round of legal pressure on the TMC MP within a short span, indicating an escalating pattern of complaints targeting her public statements.
Court Orders Security for Moitra
Separately, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal Police to provide adequate armed security to Moitra after she was targeted with eggs during a recent visit to her Krishnanagar constituency. The order underscores the heightened political tension surrounding the MP even as she faces fresh legal action. As of the time of reporting, Moitra has not publicly responded to the complaint or the summons.
What Happens Next
Moitra is expected to appear at the Diamond Harbour Cyber Crime Police Station on Saturday, 5 September. Given that the registered sections are non-bailable, the case carries significant legal weight. Whether she complies with the summons or seeks legal relief from a court will be closely watched, particularly given the political sensitivity of the allegations at the centre of the dispute.
Point of View
The Calcutta High Court ordering armed security for Moitra in the same week she is summoned for questioning captures the contradictory pressures closing in on her. The real test is whether the case proceeds to charge-sheet or quietly fades — a pattern that has historically tracked the political temperature between Moitra and the TMC leadership more than the legal merits.
NationPress
4 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Mahua Moitra been booked by the police?
Mahua Moitra has been booked under non-bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following a complaint that her 1 September social media post — alleging Muslim IPS and IAS officers were excluded from Union Home Minister Amit Shah's North Bengal programme — incited communal hatred. The case was registered at Diamond Harbour Cyber Crime Police Station in South 24 Parganas.
Which BNS sections have been invoked against Mahua Moitra?
Police have registered the case under BNS Section 196 (promoting communal enmity), Section 197 (statements harmful to national integration), Section 299 (outraging religious feelings), and Section 353 (circulating false statements via electronic or social media causing public mischief). All sections are non-bailable.
When and where has Mahua Moitra been summoned?
Moitra has been summoned to appear at the Diamond Harbour Cyber Crime Police Station in South 24 Parganas at 11 am on Saturday, 5 September. She has not publicly responded to the summons as of the time of reporting.
Is this the first police case against Mahua Moitra on similar charges?
No. A few days before this summons, Moitra was questioned for over an hour at Hogalbari Police Station in Nadia district in a separate case also related to alleged communal hatred. The Diamond Harbour case is the second such police action against her within a short period.
What did the Calcutta High Court order regarding Mahua Moitra?
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal Police to provide adequate armed security to Mahua Moitra after she was targeted with eggs during a visit to her Krishnanagar constituency. The court order came in the same week as the fresh police summons against her.
