Uproar in Lok Sabha Over Mahua Moitra’s Remarks on Judge Loya’s Death

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Dec. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra’s reference to the death of Judge B H Loya during a Lok Sabha debate on Friday triggered a heated exchange, leading to brief adjournments. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Moitra of raising a settled matter and warned of potential parliamentary action against her remarks.

During the debate on 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Moitra criticized the BJP for allegedly undermining institutions and targeting opposition leaders. Her comments about Judge Loya, who died in 2014 while presiding over a sensitive case, drew immediate objections from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Rijiju, who claimed the issue had been settled by the Supreme Court.

Rijiju termed her remarks “very serious” and warned, “We will take appropriate parliamentary action. You are setting a very wrong precedent.” Moitra, however, defended her statements, asserting in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the minister’s threats were unwarranted and that his remarks, not hers, should be expunged.

Opposition leaders Saugata Roy (TMC) and K C Venugopal (Congress) protested against Rijiju’s language, accusing him of intimidating a woman MP. They urged Speaker Om Birla to address the matter and ensure parliamentary decorum.

The Speaker stated that he had asked Moitra to authenticate her claims and assured members that he would examine Rijiju’s remarks for potential deletion. He called for constructive discussions on constitutional matters, rather than personal allegations and counter-allegations.

Judge Loya’s death had sparked controversy in 2014, with allegations of foul play. However, the Supreme Court had later ruled that there was no evidence of wrongdoing, attributing his death to natural causes.

The Lok Sabha debate resumed after the adjournments, with the opposition continuing to demand an apology from the parliamentary affairs minister.