Mahua Moitra Denies PSO, Challenges West Bengal Govt to Check Records
Synopsis
TMC MP Mahua Moitra publicly accused the West Bengal government of lying about her security cover, denying she has ever had a Personal Security Officer in 18 years of politics and offering to swear on affidavit.
Key Takeaways
Mahua Moitra denied receiving any PSO cover at any point in her 18-year political career.
She directly challenged the Government of West Bengal's official social media handle, calling the claims false.
Moitra offered to file an affidavit to formally contest the state government's assertion.
In India, PSO assignments are made by state police based on official threat assessments and are a matter of documented record.
The dispute is an intra-alliance clash — Moitra is a Trinamool Congress MP, the same party that leads the West Bengal government.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra fired back at the Government of West Bengal on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, flatly denying claims that she has received round-the-clock personal security — and daring the state administration to prove otherwise. The denial was swift, sharp, and came with an offer to put the claim on affidavit.
In a post on X, Moitra wrote: 'Really? Hahha what a bunch of liars @GoWestBengal is. Have never had a PSO for even one hour in all the 18 years I have been in politics, let alone 24x7. Will put on affidavit.' The post, accompanied by an image, was directed squarely at the official handle of the West Bengal state government.
What the PSO dispute is actually about
In India, Personal Security Officers are assigned to politicians and public figures by state police based on formal threat assessments — not at the discretion of the individual. The allocation, or denial, of such cover is a matter of official police record, which means it is, in principle, verifiable.
Moitra's challenge cuts straight to that paper trail. By offering to swear on affidavit that she has received no PSO cover across 18 years in public life, she is essentially betting that the state government cannot produce a single assignment order bearing her name. That is either a very confident bluff or a statement of documentary fact — and she is inviting the government to find out which.
Moitra's record of taking on the TMC government
The confrontation is notable because Moitra is herself a Trinamool Congress MP — making this a visible intra-alliance dispute between an elected legislator and the state machinery run by her own party. First elected from Krishnanagar, West Bengal in 2019, Moitra has built a reputation for vocal, adversarial interventions in Parliament, and she has rarely softened that instinct when the target sits closer to home.
Public disagreements between individual politicians and state authorities over the scope of security cover are not uncommon in India, but they seldom escalate to public challenges involving sworn affidavits. That Moitra has raised the stakes to that level signals she is confident the record will bear her out.
The next move belongs to West Bengal police: either produce the assignment records, or stay silent. Either way, Moitra has put a number — zero hours of PSO cover in 18 years — on the table and asked the government to contradict it in writing.
Point of View
With assignments — or claims about them — wielded to shape reputations. The unusual element here is that the challenge is intra-party, suggesting Moitra is comfortable sharpening her independence even at the cost of friction with Nabanna. If she follows through with an affidavit, it forces a rare moment of documentary accountability on a topic that usually stays off the record.
NationPress
14 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PSO in Indian politics?
A Personal Security Officer (PSO) is a police personnel assigned by a state government to protect a politician or public figure based on a formal threat assessment by the police.
Why is Mahua Moitra disputing the West Bengal government?
Moitra says the state government falsely claimed she receives 24x7 PSO cover; she denies ever having had a PSO for even a single hour in 18 years and is willing to swear on affidavit.
Can Mahua Moitra actually file an affidavit on this?
Yes, any individual can file an affidavit before a magistrate or notary attesting to a factual matter; doing so makes the claim a legally sworn statement.
Is Mahua Moitra in the same party as the West Bengal government?
Yes, Moitra is a Trinamool Congress MP and the West Bengal government is also led by the Trinamool Congress, making this an intra-party public dispute.
What happens next in the Mahua Moitra PSO controversy?
The key developments to watch are whether Moitra formally files an affidavit and whether West Bengal police release official records of her security cover or lack thereof.
