Mahua Moitra slams Centre over '20 lakh job losses' and 'vote chori'

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government, alleging that its lack of response to the recent US tariffs on Indian exports stems from its indifference towards the popular verdict as it indulges in election fraud.

Moitra alleged that the ruling government is built on the premise of 'mass disenfranchisement' rather than genuine public support.

In a video message shared on X, Moitra questioned the Narendra Modi-led government’s silence over the economic impact of the newly imposed 50 per cent US tariffs on key Indian industries, particularly those in BJP-ruled states.

She claimed that the Centre’s inaction reveals a disturbing disconnect from public accountability.

“The Opposition has been displaying to the rest of India how the Modi government and the current BJP government have caused mass disenfranchisement of voters and mass rigging of elections, and basically a grand vote chori,” said Moitra.

She cited multiple elections — including 2024 Lok Sabha elections and those in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, and Delhi — where she alleged voting irregularities, suggesting that the BJP’s electoral wins have made the government 'impervious' to how its policies affect the public.

Referring to the United States' 50 per cent tariff on Indian shrimp exports, Mora highlighted its disproportionate impact on Andhra Pradesh, a state governed by the Telugu Desam Party, an NDA ally at the Centre.

She noted that Andhra Pradesh alone accounts for 60 per cent of India’s shrimp exports — worth approximately $1.4 billion.

“Already there was a 2.5 per cent anti-dumping duty and a 5.8 per cent countervailing duty. On top of that, there’s a 50 per cent tariff, so there’s a 59 per cent effective tax on shrimp exports from Andhra,” she explained.

“If the current government in Andhra Pradesh is accountable to people and the BJP is accountable to people, how do you explain this to your ally in Andhra Pradesh? How do they in turn explain it to the shrimp exporters?” Moitra added.

She further warned that the diamond polishing hubs of Surat and other Gujarat regions, as well as Uttar Pradesh’s leather and brass industries, face severe risks due to the new trade restrictions.

According to Moitra, the tariffs could jeopardise more than two million jobs and impact 55 per cent of India’s export economy. “Where is the reaction from the government?” she asked. “The government is so sure of vote chori and so sure of winning every election on vote theory, it doesn’t care how people are being affected by these tariffs.”

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, a vital coalition partner in the Union government, also expressed concerns on the implication of US tariffs on Andhra's shrimp industry.

On 2 August, it was reported that during the launch of the PM KISAN – Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, Naidu addressed the issue directly, stating, “The increase in tariffs in America will burden the aqua farmers in the state. We have taken note of the matter and we will discuss it with farmers in a day or two. Then we will make an action plan.”

With agency inputs