FIR against Mahua Moitra in Assam for insulting 'Mr Gogoi'

Activists under the banner of Jatiya Sangrami Sena, Asom, on July 18 lodged an FIR against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra for connecting the 'Gogoi' surname to sexual harassment in a tweet.

The organization, lodging it's FIR at the Sivasagar Sadar police station, demanded Moitra to apologize for a tweet that has sparked a nationwide controversy.

"This is observed that her Twitter comment is deliberately replacing the word sexual harassment by the word Mr Gogoi is a clear intention to defame and disregard an established ethnic community in Assam, and hence I urge the law of the land to protect the sanctity, integrity, and respect of the Ahom community and bring Mrs Mohua Moitra to justice", Pramad Chetia, president of the Jatiya Sangrami Sena's Sivasagar unit wrote in his FIR.

The Trinamool MP courted controversy yesterday afternoon when she cryptically posted: "My first of new twitter series on replacements for unparliamentary words. Banned word- Sexual Harassment Replacement- Mr. Gogoi."

My first of new twitter series on replacements for unparliamentary words .

Banned word- Sexual Harassment
Replacement- Mr. Gogoi

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 14, 2022

The tweet was made against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha Secretariat releasing a booklet consisting of words considered “unparliamentary” such as jumlajeevi, baal buddhi, ashamed, corrupt, and abused. This soon sparked a heated debate as opposition leaders, including senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, took turns to criticise the decision calling the “gag order” an assault on parliamentary democracy. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla later clarified that no word had been banned in Lok Sabha. The booklet only mentioned words expunged in the past.

Moitra's tweet soon triggered a backlash in Assam, where 'Gogoi' is a very common surname used by the Ahom community.

Famed movie critic and national award winner Utpal Borpujari urged the MP to be specific about the identity of the 'Mr. Gogoi' in her tweet.

"Who is this Mr. Gogoi? Please give the complete name if you have a specific person in mind. Else, it's a slur on all the Gogois. (Yes, the list of 'unparliamentary' words is ridiculous, but that can be opposed without being equally ridiculous)", he tweeted.

Who is this "Mr Gogoi"? Please give the complete name if you have a specific person in mind. Else, it's a slur on all the Gogois. (Yes, the list of 'unparliamentary' words is ridiculous, but that can be opposed without being equally ridiculous). https://t.co/eHc72mzkfG

— উৎপল বৰপূজাৰী Utpal Borpujari (@UtpalBorpujari) July 14, 2022

"In Assam, your next-door neighbor, or your best friend, or your child's teacher, or perhaps all of them could be called Mr. Gogoi. This tweet abuses every man who uses this common surname. Please delete it" wrote journalist Kabir Firaque.

In Assam, your next-door neighbour, or your best friend, or your child's teacher, or perhaps all of them could be called Mr Gogoi. This tweet abuses every man who uses this common surname. Please delete it.

— Kabir Firaque (@KabirFiraque) July 14, 2022

It may be mentioned that last year on February 9, in a speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Moitra raised the matter of an allegation of sexual harassment against former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. Her comments were later expunged from Parliament’s records.

Amid the backlash, Moitra clarified that she was indeed referring to the former Chief Justice, who has now been elected to the Rajya Sabha.

"Just for those sanghis twisting tweet to say I targetted all Gogois let me spell it out: Mister Ranjan Gogoi. Honourable MP, Rajya Sabha," Moitra wrote in a follow-up tweet.

Just for those sanghis twisting tweet to say I targetted all Gogois let me spell it out:

Mister Ranjan Gogoi. Honourable MP, Rajya Sabha. https://t.co/FKJBhNOEz8

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 15, 2022