A case has been filed against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for a social media post on National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma.
The Krishnanagar MP, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha last year, had made a remark reaction to videos of the NCW chief meeting women injured in the Hathras stampede where over 120 people were killed.
The FIR has been registered against the MP by the Cyber Unit of the Delhi Police Special Cell. The FIR has been registered against her under Section 79 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) of the recently implemented criminal law, according to Aaj Tak.
The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Special Cell will now take the details of the X handle from the social media platform from which the remark was used against Rekha Sharma.
"A complaint was received from the National Commission of Women, alleging that a purported repost of a tweet (on social media platform X) by TMC MP Mohua Mitra, has committed the offence under section 79, BNS-2023. Taking cognizance of the complaint and after a preliminary examination of its contents, a case FIR under section 79, BNS-2023 has been registered at PS Special Cell and an investigation has been taken up," ANI quoted Delhi Police as saying.
The NCW had taken suo moto cognizance of the derogatory remark made by TMC MP Mahua Moitra against its chairperson Rekha Sharma and sought an FIR against Moitra.
Moitra, while commenting on a video posted on X showing Rekha Sharma's arrival at the stampede site, wrote, "She is too busy holding up her boss's pajamas." The X post was later deleted by the TMC leader.
"The crude remarks are outrageous and a violation of a woman's right to dignity. The Commission observed that this remark attracts Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023," the NCW said in a post on X.
"The NCW said it strongly condemns the defamatory remarks and requests strict action against Moitra. An FIR should be registered against Moitra and a detailed action report should be communicated to the Commission within 3 days," the NCW wrote.
Reposting the NCW's post on X, Moitra said, "Come on Delhi Police, please take action immediately on these suo moto orders. Am in Nadia in case you need me in the next three days to make a quick arrest."
In an apparent jibe at the NCW chief, she said, I Can Hold My Own Umbrella.
In another post, Moitra shared several screenshots of the posts made by Sharma, and said an FIR should also be lodged against those posts. "Also Delhi Police, while you’re at it can you please register an FIR against another serial offender under your new Act," she said.
The post included screenshot of a post where Sharma made remarks on Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi calling them dumb. In another post, Sharma said, Mahatma Gandhi couldn't be a good son how we call him father of nation