This is a shout-out to Mahua Moitra. We belong to different parties, Mahua and I. Not just that. I am dead opposed to the party Mahua Moitra belongs to. I can list the reasons why, but that is not relevant here. There are issues on which we must speak out regardless of our political differences. Mahua’s case goes beyond the reality that many women leaders of our country, whether in the Treasury benches or in the Opposition, have had to face — rank sexism, character assassination, crude comments, malicious gossip, dismissive attitudes and so on, the list is endless. But in this case, sexism and misogyny have been used to subvert the system itself to the extent of expelling Moitra from Parliament.

If we cannot unite as women to condemn what this government has done and the way it has behaved in this case, our silence will prove to be a fatal trap for generations of women after us, who have dreams of coming into public life. In the last Session, the government had wrongly claimed the credit for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was the result of the sustained struggle of women themselves. But in this Session, the government can rightly claim credit for setting a new record in the sexist targeting of a woman. This hardly enhances the image of the mother of democracy. Mahua has displayed personal courage and strength in the face of a vitriolic campaign backed by the most powerful men in our country. She has stood firm, never flinched or backed down. Good for you Mahua.

It is utterly wrong to cite the precedent of the earlier MPs who were expelled,........

© Indian Express