Show cause notice issued to former TMC MP Mahua Moitra for not vacating govt bungalow
New Delhi, Jan 8: Former TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra was issued a notice on Monday by the Directorate of Estates (DoE) for not vacating her government bungalow, a source in the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said.
The Trinamool Congress leader, who was expelled from Lok Sabha on December 8 last year, was earlier asked to vacate the house by January 7 after her allotment was cancelled. The DoE has now asked her to submit her reply to the notice within three days.
"A show cause notice has been issued to Mahua Moitra, seeking her reply within three days as to why she has still not vacated her government accommodation," the source said.
On January 4, the Delhi High Court asked the TMC leader to approach the DoE with a request for allowing her to continue to occupy the government accommodation allotted to her.
Justice Subramoniun Prasad, while dealing with the TMC leader's challenge to an official intimation asking her to vacate the government bungalow by January 7 on account of cancellation of the allotment following her expulsion, noted that the rules permitted the authorities to allow a resident to overstay for up to six months on payment of certain charges in exceptional circumstances.
The court allowed Moitra to withdraw her petition and noted it has not made any observations on the merits of the matter. It said the Directorate of Estates shall decide her case after applying its own mind.
It added that the law mandates issuing notice to a resident before eviction and the government has to take steps to evict the petitioner in accordance with law.
Moitra was held guilty of "unethical conduct" and expelled from Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023 for allegedly accepting gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani and sharing her user ID and password of the Parliament website with him.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
