Mahua Moitra slams ethics committee report on parliamentary expulsion
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra slammed the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee's recommendation for her removal from Parliament in the "cash-for-query" case. Taking to X on Friday, Moitra labeled the committee as a "kangaroo court" and asserted she is proud to be the first individual to be "unethically ousted" by the ethics panel. The panel, led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vinod Kumar Sonkar, backed a 479-page report advocating Moitra's expulsion from the 17th session of Parliament.
Why does this story matter?
Moitra has been accused of asking questions against the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in return for cash from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani. Meanwhile, the anti-corruption body, Lokpal, has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into corruption charges against Moitra. In 2005, 10 MPs were expelled for accepting bribes to pose questions in Parliament.
Moitra predicts an increased winning margin in 2024
In a now-deleted post, the West Bengal leader also speculated that the controversy would aid her in doubling her winning margin in the 2024 elections. "Never Waste a Good Crisis they say...this just helped me double my 2024 winning margin," Moitra had written in her post. Notably, if the ethics committee's recommendation is executed, this would be the first instance of an MP being expelled by the panel.
What does the ethics committee report say?
The Ethics Committee report charged Moitra with receiving "money—cash and kind, amenities and various other facilities" from entrepreneur Hiranandani. Additionally, it claimed that Moitra shared her Lok Sabha login information with Hiranandani, allowing him to operate from Dubai and submit parliamentary inquiries in the Lok Sabha. The report revealed that 50 of the 61 questions posed by Moitra from 2019 to 2023 aimed to safeguard or promote Hiranandani's business interests.
Opposition members disagree with panel's recommendation
Four opposition members within the Ethics Committee contested the panel's recommendation, deeming it "prejudiced" and "incorrect." They also dismissed the claim that the West Bengal leader's actions were "highly objectionable, unethical, heinous, and criminal." They maintained that Hiranandani, who allegedly bribed Moitra, should have been summoned to testify before the panel rather than merely submitting an affidavit.
Ethics committee report details issue of login sharing
The report underscored that the questions asked to Moitra were based on submissions made by various departments. It noted that the issue of login sharing was highlighted by the discrepancy between her visit to Dubai and the frequency of her logins from there, NDTV reported citing sources. Moitra's account was operated 47 times from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between July 2019 and April 2023 but she had visited the country only four times during that time span.
Moitra's estranged partner posts video of Henry amid custody battle
Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who is involved in a personal feud with Moitra over the custody of a Rottweiler named Henry, said on Thursday that his pet was back home. Sharing a video of him petting Henry on social media, he wrote, "Welcome back, Henry." In October, Moitra confirmed that Dehadrai had returned Henry following a legal notice. To note, the complaint against Moitra was filed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey based on information shared by Dehadrai.
