An Alipore court has restrained Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory remarks against West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal over the ongoing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The interim order directs Moitra to remove the disputed social media posts within 24 hours. It also specifically bars her from describing Agarwal as a “vote chor” or accusing him of illegally depriving voters of their voting rights.
The court clarified that the restriction does not prevent fair criticism of the SIR exercise or decisions taken by public officials.
In its order, the court prohibited Moitra, along with anyone acting on her behalf, from publishing, reposting, sharing or repeating the statements in question on any platform. The allegations covered by the order include claims that Agarwal committed illegality, was solely responsible for the alleged disenfranchisement of voters, or acted at the direction of a “maalik”.
Moitra has been given the opportunity to submit her objections in the case and seek discharge, modification or cancellation of the interim order.
Dispute centres on voter deletions
The controversy stems from posts Moitra published on X on October 3 and October 6, in which she accused Agarwal of being responsible for the alleged wrongful removal of lakhs of voters during the SIR process. Agarwal had previously served as West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer before becoming the state’s Chief Secretary.
On October 9, Agarwal issued a legal notice to the parliamentarian, demanding an unconditional apology and ₹10 crore in damages over the alleged defamation. He subsequently approached the court seeking relief.
The court has also permitted Agarwal to forward its interim order to X for action against the disputed posts if Moitra does not remove them within the stipulated 24 hours. The direction refers to Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, read with Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on January 5, 2027.