The Calcutta High Court has directed that the Union Home Ministry be added as a party to Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s case seeking enhanced security, bringing the Centre directly into proceedings over protection for the Krishnanagar representative.
Justice Sougat Bhattacharyya directed on Wednesday that the Home Ministry be added to the case by Thursday, October 15. The next hearing has been scheduled for December 2.
Moitra had approached the court alleging repeated harassment and attacks in her Lok Sabha constituency. According to the report placed before the court, she alleged that eggs had been thrown at her while she was at a party office and that she had also been harassed while travelling by car.
The court had earlier ordered police protection for the MP within her constituency. The latest plea seeks the deployment of security personnel with her on a full-time basis, after she alleged that incidents continued despite the earlier direction.
The proceedings also concern a separate order under which the court had directed the deployment of two security personnel when Moitra travelled within her parliamentary constituency. On October 7, the court had sought the West Bengal government’s position in that matter and asked the state to explain the rules governing security for a Member of Parliament.
Submitting the state’s report on Wednesday, Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar told the court that Moitra was receiving security in accordance with the Union Home Ministry’s guidelines and the Yellow Book, the document that sets out security-related protocols for protected persons. He said the MP had been provided X-category security under those rules.
Moitra’s lawyer, Arka Nag, argued that although a personal security officer was assigned to the MP, the officer was not always with her. The lawyer submitted that the Union Home Ministry could take a decision on the request for additional protection and asked that the ministry be made a party to the case.
The judge allowed that request after hearing both sides. The order places the central ministry alongside the state authorities in the proceedings, reflecting the administrative division involved in determining and implementing security cover for elected representatives.
The case will next be heard on December 2. The court’s consideration will include the state’s report on the applicable security rules and the request for continuous protection for the MP.
