Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, 49, was expelled from Lok Sabha on 8th December following an Ethics Committee report’s “cash for query” charges against her. The senior leader was accused of taking a two-crore bribe from businessman Darshan Hiranandani, son of Niranjan Hiranandani, a real estate billionaire.
She was also accused of passing the confidential log-in details of the parliamentary website to Mr. Hiranandani. The details were shared to pose questions about the Adani group in Parliament. The incident came to light after BJP MP Nishant Dubey accused her of corruption and wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The ethics committee initiated a probe and submitted a 500-page report that
- Accused Mahua of sharing the credentials, which compromised national security.
- Accused her for accepting bribes in the combination of gifts and money.
- Pointed out that out of the 60 questions asked by Ms Moitra, 50 were vested in favour of Hiranandani’s business interest.
The report, when presented, resulted in an uproar of discussion between the ruling BJP and the opposition. The committee recommended the house to expel her on the grounds of Hiranandani’s affidavit claiming Ms. Moitra took a bribe from him. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla refused to let Mahua defend herself and, with a voice vote, expelled her from the house. While declaring the decision, he called her actions “immoral and indecent” as a member of parliament.
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Mahua Moitra’s Response to the Allegation
On 11th December, Mahua Moitra knocked on the doors of the apex court to challenge her expulsion from the house. Reacting to her expulsion, she called the parliament a “kangaroo court” and said, “Without getting to the root of this, the ethics committee has decided to hang me.”
She described her expulsion as unfair and arbitrary. She asserted that she is being accused of violating a non-existent code of ethics and claimed that there is no evidence of any gifts or money taken. She further added that the ethics committee doesn’t have the power to expel her. She expressed her frustration at not getting the chance to cross-examine Mr. Hiranandani and defend herself in the house while the report was tabled. She accused the BJP of weaponizing the committee against her. She pledged to fight this for the next 30 years inside the parliament and outside on the streets.
About Ethics Committee
The ethics committee is a parliamentary committee that acts as a watchdog to keep the ethical conduct of the members of the house in check. It consists of 15 members who are selected by the speaker of the house for a duration of one year.
The committee acts on any complaints received about the unethical conduct and recommends actions over it. It plays a pivotal role in keeping the ethical integrity of the house in tact and ensuring transparency and accountability among the elected representatives of the house.
