'Series of disobedience': Arrest warrant issued against Moitra in hate speech case

A Bengal court has issued an arrest warrant against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for allegedly not responding to summonses in a hate speech case. The case stems from comments Moitra made at a news conference in Nadia in August 2025 regarding infiltration along the India-Bangladesh border. The 3rd Judicial Magistrate at Krishnanagar court stated that Moitra's repeated failure to comply with court orders demonstrated a lack of respect for the judicial process.

Her lawyer argued that she feared facing hecklers outside the court premises. The matter involves several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including insulting a woman's modesty, promoting inter-group enmity, outraging religious feelings, criminal intimidation, and hate speech. Moitra has claimed her remarks were figurative, based on a Bengali idiom, and denied any intent to incite violence.

She had previously appeared before Nadia Police on August 14 for the ongoing investigation. The Calcutta High Court had granted her interim protection from police coercion until October 5, contingent upon her cooperation with the probe.