LS ethics committee likely to recommend TMC MP Moitra’s expulsion

PTI, Nov 9, 2023, 9:51 AM IST

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee looking into the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra is learnt to have recommended her expulsion from the Lower House of Parliament on the grounds of ‘unethical conduct’ having an impact on national security.

The committee headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar is meeting later on Thursday to adopt its draft report in what is likely to be hotly contested by opposition members of the panel.

It has deplored the conduct of Moitra, who has been accused of sharing her parliamentary log-in credentials with a businessman, as ‘highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal’, and has also called for a time-bound legal and institutional inquiry by the government.

The government should investigate the alleged money trail between her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani as part of quid-pro-quo, it has said.

The committee has also said that BSP MP Danish Ali, one of its most vocal opposition members, should be admonished for ‘twisting’ the intent of the questions asked by Sonkar of Moitra during its last hearing on November 2.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Moitra, accusing her of asking questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group at the behest of businessman Hiranandani in exchange for bribes and gifts.

The 15-member committee has seven members from the BJP, three from the Congress, and one each from the BSP, the Shiv Sena, the YSRCP, the CPI(M) and the JD(U).

All five opposition members who attended the November 2 meeting walked out of the proceedings, alleging that Sonkar asked personal and indecent questions to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP regarding her travels, hotel stay and telephone calls.

In a related but separate development, Dubey on Wednesday said the Lokpal has ordered a CBI probe against Moitra on his complaint of alleged corruption by her.

Hitting back, Moitra said the CBI needs to first file an FIR in the Rs 13,000-crore Adani coal ‘scam’.

“National security issue is how dodgy foreign portfolio investor (FPI) owned (inc Chinese & UAE ) Adani firms buying Indian ports & airports … Then CBI welcome to come, count my shoes,” she posted on X.