Is Mahua Moitra being pushed under the scanner a hit job on a fearless critic of the government?
Or is it just another tip of the iceberg in unearthing another scam like the one in 2005 where in 11 MPs lost their membership of the parliament after a sting operation caught them red handed?
The times are different.
It was UPA government and six of the 11 MPs were from the BJP. And it refused to vote on the resolution to expel the MPs saying, through its then leader LK Advani that though those caught were guilty of misconduct and dishonesty in their actions, it was more stupidity than anything else and thus the punishment of expulsion is too harsh.
Now the proverbial shoes is on the other foot.
BJP has picked the wrong person to bully. https://t.co/mql19ALqwp
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 27, 2023
And it is the BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, for some paragon of political virtue, is leading the fight on corruption and bribery.
And the fact that the information source is Mahua Moitra’s “jilted ex” – or former boyfriend spices it all up a lot.
And the ‘king of romance’ (?) in the Indian parliament or someone who is unforgivably affable, with the sweetest, disarming smile Shashi Tharoor coming into the picture, takes the whole thing to an altogether new level, above his famous “cattle class”.
Whoever is the source of the photos in the Social media, Mahua and Shashi cozying up, spices it up further and makes it into something (an affair) which definitely does not look to be there at all.
But the two have a history of standing up for each other.
Mahua defends Shashi Tharoor
When Shashi Tharoor had captioned the photo, he took with female MPs saying ‘Who says the Lok Sabha isn’t an attractive place to work’, he was trolled for “reducing women to their looks”.
“Not surprised that a bunch of ugly trolls attacking @ShashiTharoor on a non-issue to detract attention from this non-attractive government’s decision to not allow a discussion on the farm act repeal,” Moitra tweeted.
Shashi Tharoor thanked Mahua for her solidarity.
Then came his turn to reciprocate the feeling of solidarity.
Who says the Lok Sabha isn’t an attractive place to work? With six of my fellow MPs this morning: @supriya_sule @preneet_kaur @ThamizhachiTh @mimichakraborty @nusratchirps @JothimaniMP pic.twitter.com/JNFRC2QIq1
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 29, 2021
Following Leena Manimekalai disparaging the Goddess Kali (the film she made), speaking on camera, Mahua Moitra told a panel: “Kaali to me, is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. You have the freedom to imagine your goddess. There are some places where whiskey is offered to gods and in some other places it would be blasphemy.”
The Congress leader Shashi Tharoor repaid the solidarity with interest in a series of tweets.
“I am no stranger to malicious manufactured controversy, but am still taken aback by the attack on @MahuaMoitra for saying what every Hindu knows, that our forms of worship vary widely across the country. What devotees offer as bhog (offering) says more about them than about the goddess”, Shashi wrote.
Now Mahua is facing the biggest challenge of her political career with the allegations (made by her own former boyfriend) of compromising parliament’s and nation’s security sharing the login details with foreigners in order to receive cash and expensive and luxurious gifts to raise questions in the parliament on his behalf.
Also read: Shashi Tharoor trolled for calling Delhi violence a ‘drama’
The foreigner in question is the Dubai based NRI Darshan Hiranandani who has endorsed those allegations against here.
Although the BJP seems to be handling the issue with softer gloves, having decided not to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee and instead sending it to the Ethical Committee, the heat on Mahua is intense.
Friends of Mahua Moitra will hope Shashi stands by her. They know if he does, their solidarity, will be priceless for Mahua who needs it more than ever.
Although the defiant Mahua barges on – as the lone wolf on twitter making some utterly ridiculous claims like – ‘the CBI is welcome to come and counter her shoes’, so far Shashi Tharoor or her own party have not come out in public to support her.
Some observers believe although Shashi in public, seems to be playing a ‘wait and see game’, he is there for Mahua.