09-11-2023 : The parliamentary ethics committee, in a significant development on Thursday, granted approval to the draft report recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha in response to the cash-for-query allegations. The panel, chaired by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, convened in the evening to finalize the report, with six members voting in favor and four opposing. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sonkar revealed that a detailed report would be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday, leaving the subsequent action to the Speaker’s discretion.
The allegations against Moitra involve accusations of receiving bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for posing questions in parliament, particularly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani. Additional charges include claims of sharing her parliament account login details with the businessman. Moitra had appeared before the ethics panel on November 2 but walked out, alleging that the panel chairman had posed inappropriate and unethical questions.
The complaint against Moitra was filed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, while advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, who reportedly provided evidence against the TMC MP, also deposed before the committee. Despite opposition members raising concerns about the panel’s recommendation being “prejudiced” and “incorrect,” the approval of the draft report suggests a serious stance on Moitra’s conduct, particularly in light of her charges against panel chairman Sonkar.
In a letter addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker on Thursday, Moitra raised objections to the “serious breach of privilege” as the confidential draft report was accessed by private news channels before its official release. She expressed dismay at the breakdown of due process and rules in the Lok Sabha, emphasizing the lack of response to her previous complaints.
The committee’s adoption of the draft report, coupled with the subsequent controversy surrounding its premature disclosure, adds a layer of complexity to the already contentious case, setting the stage for potential disciplinary actions against Mahua Moitra.