‘Idioms, not abuse’: Mahua Moitra takes dig at BJP over Amit Shah comment

Mahua Moitra clarifies ‘beheading’ remark, calls it a mistranslated idiom

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Sunday defended herself after an FIR was lodged in Chhattisgarh over her controversial remark on Union Home Minister Amit Shah. At a public meeting in Nadia, Moitra had said Shah’s “head should be cut off and placed on the table” for failing to stop infiltration from Bangladesh. The comment sparked backlash, with complainants accusing her of spreading hatred and insulting democratic institutions.

Responding to the row, Moitra said her words were idiomatic, not literal. “‘Heads will roll’ in English or ‘lojjae matha kata jawa’ in Bengali are figures of speech for accountability. But BJP is twisting it. Idiots don’t understand idioms,” she said in a video message.

She alleged that her Bengali phrase “matha kete table-e” was mistranslated in the FIR as “gala kaat diya”. “This is what happens when you rely on Google Translate for political vendetta,” she added. The TMC leader also accused Chhattisgarh police of harassing migrant Bengali workers in Kondagaon district, claiming cases against them were withdrawn only after a High Court notice.

The BJP has condemned her statement and demanded action, calling it a direct attack on the Union Home Minister.