Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the 17th Lok Sabha over cash-for-query allegations, lambasted the ruling BJP during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address. Moitra declared that the party paid a heavy price for attempting to silence her voice.
Reflecting on her previous expulsion, Moitra stated,”Last time I stood, I was not allowed to speak. The ruling party paid a very heavy price for throttling the voice of one MP,” She emphasized the political cost, saying,“In their attempt to silence me, the public silenced them, causing them to lose 63 MPs… mujhko bithane ke chakkar mein janta ne aapko bitha diya, aapke 63 MPs loss kar diya.”
Moitra’s address was charged with criticism of the BJP and the Election Commission (EC). She accused the EC of ignoring violations of the Model Code of Conduct by the ruling party.“We won in spite of the EC, not because of it. Commissioners turned a deaf ear to the most egregious violations of the Model Code of Conduct by the ruling party and the prime minister,” Moitra said. She further remarked, “This election will be remembered for an eager and compliant EC turning a blind eye and a deaf ear towards the ruling party. Ultimately, the voters took charge and said ‘bahut ho gaya’.”
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The Krishnanagar MP also took aim at the government’s infrastructure projects, criticizing the allocation of ₹1.08 lakh crore for the Vande Bharat Bullet Train Project while neglecting safety measures like ‘kavach,’ a Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).“You are sanctioning ₹1.08 lakh crore for Vande Bharat Bullet Train Project. In Balasore last year, three trains collided as there was no ‘kavach’; last week, in the train accident there was no ‘kavach’. With the current level of funding, it will take 50 years for ‘kavach’ to be installed on all trains,” she said.
‘Kavach’ is a Train Collision Avoidance System that provides automated train protection as well as collision prevention capabilities for the trains.
Moitra further took the opportunity to critique the aviation sector. Describing it as a “domestic hazard hub,” she highlighted, “Our aviation sector has become a domestic hazard hub, with newly constructed airports having canopies falling and the Pragati Maidan tunnel flooding. This is what happens when infrastructure is poorly planned and rushed for photo opportunities by the supreme leader,” she said. Bringing to the surface several issues including the newly constructed airports and the Pragati Maidan tunnel, which suffered from structural failures and flooding.
