Supreme Court rebuffs Mahua Moitra's plea, warns of political cowardice

The Supreme Court turned down a petition filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who had contested a Calcutta high court order requiring her presence before police in a hate-speech investigation. The apex court signaled that it would not provide any relief and the petition was withdrawn by her counsel. In its remarks, the bench asked Moitra why a parliamentarian should be afraid of "eggs" in politics, invoking the sacrifices of historic freedom fighters who faced gunfire.

The judgment underscores the judiciary's expectation that elected officials cooperate with law-enforcement inquiries. Consequently, Moitra must appear before the police as originally ordered. The episode highlights tensions between political figures and legal authorities over speech-related cases.