Kolkata, Sept. 1 -- The state must deal with incidents of egg pelting and other harassment with an "iron hand" or they would go "out of your control", the Calcutta High Court observed on Tuesday while directing West Bengal Police to deploy two personnel with Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra whenever she enters her Constituency for 30 days.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya passed the direction on Moitra's plea alleging egg, potato, tomato and stone pelting during her visits. The court said protection was necessary to enable her to discharge her duties as an MP.

The Superintendent of Police, Krishnanagar Police District, was directed to deploy the personnel "to avoid egg pelting and other forms of harassment". Moitra must inform the SP by email at least 48 hours before each visit, specifying the dates and period of her stay.

The arrangement will continue for 30 days, with the SP directed to submit a further report on October 1. The court clarified that the order would not affect an ongoing investigation in another case and directed Moitra to cooperate with the investigating agency.

Senior advocate Kalyan Kumar Banerjee submitted that the alleged incidents were preventing Moitra from discharging her duties and referred to an incident at a Circuit House and delayed police response to another incident.

Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Mazumdar said Moitra already had security as an MP and that appropriate steps had been taken after the incidents. The court questioned how such incidents could occur if she was protected, noting that an FIR had been registered following her complaint.

Meanwhile, Moitra also faced protests and black flags during a visit to Nadia's Chapra on Tuesday for a party workers' meeting. She alleged that BJP workers and rebel Trinamool leaders were behind the protest. Her car was reportedly surrounded amid "go back" slogans, with alleged attempts to vandalise it. In a social media post, Moitra accused the Chapra MLA of sending "henchmen" to "Welcome" her.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.