New Delhi: The Ethics Committee’s report, recommending the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a “cash-for-query” case, is set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday. Aparajita Sarangi, a member of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, representing Bhubaneswar, is scheduled to present the report. Initially listed for December 4, the report’s tabling may spark contentious debates in the House.
During the government’s all-party meeting last week, TMC leaders insisted on discussing the report before deciding on Moitra’s expulsion. The House panel is investigating allegations by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, claiming Moitra accepted bribes for posing questions in the Lok Sabha on behalf of businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Moitra, refuting the accusations, requested permission to cross-examine both Hiranandani and the complainant, Advocate Jai Dehadrai.
In an affidavit to the Ethics Committee on October 19, Hiranandani asserted that Moitra provided her Parliament login credentials for him to post questions directly on her behalf. On October 15, Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging Moitra took bribes to favor a business group in her parliamentary questions. He urged the Speaker to form a committee for a thorough investigation and recommended her suspension until the panel submitted its report.
Moitra countered the charges, suggesting a probe into the “multiple breaches of privileges” against Dubey and other BJP leaders before taking any action against her. The unfolding scenario underscores the complex dynamics and potential upheaval as the report’s presentation looms, leaving the political landscape braced for intense discussions on alleged improprieties within the parliamentary process.