A remark made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra about the death of Judge B H Loya triggered a heated debate in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accusing her of raising a matter that had already been settled by the Supreme Court. Rijiju also warned that appropriate parliamentary action would be taken against her.
Moitra, during a debate on the 75 years of the Indian Constitution, made a passing remark on Judge Loya’s death, drawing attention to the issue as she criticised the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly targeting institutions and opposition leaders to silence critical voices.
Moitra in her speech first mentioned Justice HR Khanna who Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had referred to in his speech and appreciated his courage to dissent. She said that Justice Khanna went on to live for 32 years after 1976 under a largely Congress Govt and even wrote his autobiography that the Defence Minister quoted from. She contrasted this with “poor Justice Loya who is resting in peace long before his time.”
The comment led to an uproar in the House, resulting in the adjournment of proceedings twice.
Speaker Om Birla intervened, stating that he had asked Moitra to authenticate her claims. He also assured opposition members that he would look into their concerns about Rijiju’s language, which some MPs described as threatening towards a female parliamentarian.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised the issue immediately after Moitra finished her speech. He objected to her criticism of former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and accused her of insinuating foul play in Judge Loya’s death.
Mahua Moitra out of a nowhere uses the Late Justice Loya’s sudden demise as a POLITICAL WEAPON 😳
~ Supreme Court has already ruled that There was NO FOUL PLAY in his death. He died naturally.Nishikant Dubey, and the NDA side seeks action against her. Every day a new low! pic.twitter.com/OgqqzkKn5f
— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) December 13, 2024
In a post on X, Moitra responded, stating, “All those reporting that Parliament Affairs Minister warned me – it is he who will face action for threatening me! His remarks to be deleted – not mine!”
And btw all the media outlets who are reporting that Parliament Affairs Minster warned me – it is he who will face action for threatening me! His remarks to be deleted- not mine!
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) December 13, 2024
“What I’ve said… It was an absolute test of how the BJP government and the ruling party have destroyed the Constitution by a thousand cuts, and I explained in great detail using every test of electoral accountability which the political executive has failed, and I didn’t say anything if you have listen to my speech. I think it is the BJP’s own guilty conscience that is causing it to react in that way,” Mahua Moitra told news agency PTI.
VIDEO | Parliament Winter Session: “What I’ve said… It was an absolute test of how the BJP government and the ruling party have destroyed the Constitution by a thousand cuts, and I explained in great detail using every test of electoral accountability which the political… pic.twitter.com/RlHgJtz3n7
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 13, 2024
The TMC Lok Sabha members also made pointed remarks criticising CJI D Y Chandrachud, saying “attention-seeking divas do not leave legacies”.
Kiren Rijiu On ‘Parliamentary Action’ Against Mahua Moitra: ‘You’re Setting Very Wrong Precedent’
Rijiju, defending his remarks, emphasised that the death of Judge Loya had been thoroughly investigated and settled by the Supreme Court. “There is no question of any link or interference,” he stated. “This is a very serious matter, and we will take appropriate parliamentary action. You cannot escape. You are setting a very wrong precedent,” Rijiju added.
Following the adjournment, opposition MPs, including Saugata Roy from the TMC and K C Venugopal from the Congress, expressed their concerns over Rijiju’s choice of words. They asserted that the Speaker should have been the one to address any concerns regarding Moitra’s speech, and that the BJP could have used appropriate parliamentary rules to take action if they found her remarks inappropriate.
Venugopal addressed Speaker Birla, saying, “You are the custodian. You have the powers to delete, expunge… The parliamentary affairs minister took the entire custody of the House and he virtually threatened the lady member.” Roy, meanwhile, accused Rijiju of making a “brazen effort” to threaten Moitra.
Venugopal further added that Rijiju’s primary responsibility was to maintain peace in the House, but he had instead resorted to threats and intimidation of a woman MP. He called for Rijiju to apologise or for his remarks to be expunged.
In his response, Speaker Birla expressed regret over the personal allegations exchanged in the House and urged MPs to focus on constructive debates regarding constitutional issues. He reiterated that Moitra had been asked to authenticate her remarks and that he would review the situation to determine if Rijiju’s comments should be deleted.
The death of Judge Loya in 2014 had already sparked controversy following media reports alleging foul play, as he was presiding over a politically sensitive case. The Supreme Court had dismissed the allegations, declaring that the judge had died of natural causes.
