Mahua Moitra's expulsion from Lok Sabha being planned: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee broke her silence regarding the controversy surrounding Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra for the first time on Thursday. "Mahua Moitra's expulsion from Lok Sabha is being planned, but this will help her before (the 2024 general) polls," the Bengal CM reportedly said during an event in Kolkata.
Why does this story matter?
The TMC MP is facing expulsion from the House in a cash-for-query row, based on the recommendation of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee for breaking the rules of conduct. The row began after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey accused Moitra of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament, targeting PM Narendra Modi and the Adani Group.
'India would've won World Cup if it happened in Kolkata'
Banerjee also made a bizarre statement, claiming that Team India would have won the ICC Cricket World Cup if the final was played in Kolkata or Mumbai. She was referring to the Men in Blue's loss to Australia in the tournament's final on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
Attempts being made to 'saffronize' Indian cricket: Bengal CM
Addressing TMC workers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, the Bengal CM claimed that attempts were being made to "saffronize" the nation's cricket team. "They [the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)] even tried to saffronize the team by introducing saffron practice jerseys. The players resisted, so they didn't have to wear those jerseys during the matches," added Banerjee.
TMC recently assigned new role to Moitra
This development comes weeks after the TMC appointed Moitra as the district chief of Krishnanagar (Nadia North), putting to rest any speculation that Banerjee's silence was an acceptance of Moitra's guilt. Thanking Banerjee for the appointment, Moitra vowed to "always work with the party for the people of Krishnanagar." The move was viewed as a blatant show of support for the TMC MP amid the ongoing investigation for corruption in the cash-for-query scam.
Digital Sansad account access protocols changed amid row
Amid Moitra's cash-for-query controversy, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has reportedly changed the protocols for accessing the Digital Sansad portal. While the move is yet to be made official, reports suggest that lawmakers' personal assistants (PAs) cannot post notices from their MP's Digital Sansad portal account. Before the alleged change, PAs of the lawmakers could use the "E-Notice" tab to file legislative documents from their accounts.
Moitra denies taking gifts, cash from Hiranandani
On October 27, the TMC MP admitted sharing her Parliament login and password with Hiranandani while asserting that "no rules prohibit it." Moitra, however, dismissed the allegations that she received expensive gifts and cash from Hiranandani as silly. She added that the only gifts she received were "one scarf, one lipstick, and one eye shadow." Furthermore, she also cited instances where she logged in from Switzerland and how her sister's child logged in from Cambridge University.
