‘Idiots don’t understand idioms': Mahua Moitra amid row over remarks on Amit Shah

Mahua Moitra clarified that her remarks were idioms and that one doesn't really cut someone's head off. She said the idiom is "a metaphor for accountability".

In response to the FIR registered against her in Chhattisgarh's Raipur for her alleged "derogatory" remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took a sharp jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday and said that "idiots don't understand idioms".

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also accused the BJP of trying to turn her into a "political victim".(PTI)

The TMC MP had triggered a row after allegedly saying that if Shah fails to stop infiltration from Bangladesh, "the first thing you should do is cut Amit Shah's head and put it on your table". She had allegedly made the remarks in Bengali.

Moitra clarified that her comments were "idiomatic", accusing the police of twisting her words, news agency ANI reported.

'Idiots don't understand idioms'

An FIR was registered against Moitra in Raipur's Mana Camp police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 196 (promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 197 (imputations prejudicial to national integration).

Moitra explained the use of her Bengali expressions and said, "Similarly, in the Bengali language, 'matha kata jawa, we say lojjay matha kata chhe,' which means that 'you are so ashamed that you can cut your own head off. When we say matha kata jawa, matha ke tebi le rakha, it means taking accountability, owning responsibility."

"This is an idiom. Now, of course, idiots don't understand idioms, which is where we are," she added.

According to the TMC leaders, her words were misinterpreted, and she was speaking in metaphors and idioms.

She drew parallels with another situation to further clarify her point. Mahua Moitra said, "So in June 2024, when the Lok Sabha results came out, abki baar, 400 paar fell flat on its face. And the foreign media reported that the results, only 240 seats, was a slap in the face for Narendra Modi. Now, did the BJP's claim really fall flat on its face? No. Did someone go and slap the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji on his face? No."

"Then everyone said that heads will roll. Did heads roll? Yes, they did. These are what in the English language are called idioms, right? When you say heads will roll, it refers to when kings used to cut the heads off of people who were disobedient. And when you cut the head off, it starts rolling. A beheaded head can only roll," she added.

Moitra further said that one doesn't really cut someone's head off, adding that it is an idiom, "a metaphor for accountability".

‘…making heroine out of me’

The TMC leader also accused the BJP of trying to turn her into a "political victim". She said every time that such a thing happens, the party does this "stupidity of making a heroine out of me".

"You did this before; you expelled me from Parliament, and I won and came back. Every time you do this to me, politically it gets you nowhere, it makes me into Joan of Arc," Moitra added.

"Haven't you learnt your lesson?" she asked. Asking for her to just let be, Moitra said that every time she is in a tiff with the BJP, they fight her, she wins and comes back stronger.

"So take your FIRs and keep them where the sun doesn't shine, and hopefully you'll get better sense soon," the TMC MP added.

Moitra also slammed the Chhattisgarh police. Addressing the Raipur SP directly, she accused officials of filing false cases.

The TMC MP referred to an earlier incident involving migrant workers and said, "Please do me a favour. Call your colleague. Why Anant Kumar, SP Kondagaon? On the 12th of July, he illegally picked up 12 migrant workers from Kondagaon, Bengali workers from my constituency, booked them under Section 128, falsely filed an FIR, booked them, beat them, arrested them, did not produce them in court, kept them illegally detained, and released them only on the 14th of July."

She recalled how a notice was issued to the police after she approached the Chhattisgarh High Court. "Now, with your tail between your legs, another idiom, tail between your legs after getting a slap in the face, your colleague has withdrawn the case," Moitra added.

She further alleged that the FIR against her was based on Google's faulty translation. She cited the FIR, "Mahua Moitra ne kaha gala kaat diya. I said, matha ke tebi le, that's a lot different from gala kaat diya. When you use Google Translate from Bengali to English and English to Hindi to file fake FIRs, this is what happens."

Moitra said that she would challenge the case in court and asked, "Are you done with filing of fake FIRs?"

"I'm going to go to the court again, it will be another slap in the face and then more heads will roll," the TMC MP added.