‘Court proceedings used as political tool’: Trinamool objects to viral ‘queen’ remark clip in SC

A fresh political controversy unfolded in the Supreme Court as Trinamool Congress alleged that court proceedings were being misused as an “online tool in political campaigning” during the hearing of the I-PAC raid case. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing Mamata Banerjee, strongly objected to a viral video clip circulated on social media that purportedly misrepresented her courtroom submissions.

The controversy centred around a clip posted on social media by BJP leader Amit Malviya, which suggested that Guruswamy had referred to Mamata Banerjee as a “queen.” Raising the issue before the court, Guruswamy argued that her legal submissions on constitutional principles had been distorted for political purposes. She clarified that her reference to “crown” and “queen” was part of a legal argument explaining the evolution of constitutional law and not directed at any individual.

During the hearing, Guruswamy was arguing that the writ petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate, seeking a CBI probe against Mamata Banerjee and officials present during the I-PAC raid in Kolkata, was not maintainable. Her argument focused on pre-constitutional legal doctrines, including the principle that a writ of mandamus cannot be issued against a sovereign authority, which led to the exchange involving references to “crown” and “queen.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Enforcement Directorate, objected during the exchange, questioning the analogy and remarking that “fortunately, we are in a democracy; nobody is a crown.” The interaction was later selectively circulated online, leading to political interpretations. Guruswamy told the court that such selective use of proceedings amounted to an “abuse” and that her submissions were being turned into a social media weapon.

The Supreme Court had earlier observed that the conduct of the Chief Minister during the I-PAC raid could not be treated as a Centre-State dispute and had raised concerns about its implications for the democratic process. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Mamata Banerjee interfered in the raid and removed paper and digital evidence from the site, an allegation that continues to be contested as the legal battle progresses.