Oppn Members Of Ethics Committee Lash Out As Panel Adopts Report Recommending Mahua Moitra's Expulsion

Committee chairman Vinod Sonkar said that six members supported the report, while four members opposed it.

Ethics Committee on Thursday adopted its report on 'cash-for-query' allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on Thursday adopted its report on 'cash-for-query' allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra recommending her expulsion from the lower house of Parliament, reported news agency PTI.

Committee chairman Vinod Sonkar said that six members supported the report, while four members opposed it.

"The Ethics Committee had prepared a report regarding the allegations on Mahua Moitra. Today's single agenda was to adopt that report. The report has been adopted, in which six members supported it and four voted against it," BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar said.

VIDEO | "The Ethics Committee had prepared a report regarding the allegations on Mahua Moitra. Today's single agenda was to adopt that report. The report has been adopted, in which six members supported it and four voted against it," says BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar as Lok Sabha… pic.twitter.com/oGuYzf4wqL

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 9, 2023

Meanwhile, JDU MP and panel member Giridhari Yadav backed the TMC MP while criticizing the panel for preparing the case report without any discussion.

"They are openly violating the rules. How can they prepare the report without discussion?'' he told ANI.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who filed the complaint against Moitra, claimed that Congress has voted against Moitra.

In a post in Hindi, Dubey said, "Punjab has always stood for India's identity and national security. Once again, Captain Amarinder Singh ji and Congress Party MP Preneet Kaur ji have not compromised on national security. India was, is, and will always be grateful to the brave souls of Punjab."

पंजाब हमेशा भारत की अस्मिता व राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा के लिए खड़ा रहा है, आज फिर से कैप्टन अमरिंदर सिंह जी व कॉंग्रेस पार्टी की सांसद परनीत कौर जी ने राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा के लिए कोई समझौता नहीं किया । भारत पंजाब के जाँबाज़ों का कृतज्ञ था,है और रहेगा

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) November 9, 2023

BJP MP and panel member Aparajita Sarangi also said that Congress MP Preneet Kaur didn't back Moitra. "(Congress MP) Preneet Kaur sided with the truth. I thank her for it. No right thinking person would support Mahua Moitra," she said.

Mahua Moitra had appeared before the committee, headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, on November 2 over the cash-for-query allegations against her.

The committee also earlier heard BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

On allegations that the ethics committee was already "fixed", Sonkar said, "Today's agenda was only to adopt the report which was prepared after last three meetings, the complaint and Hira Nandani's affidavit. The agenda was already circulated. A detailed report was sent yesterday. Today, only the process of adoption was supposed to happen. A committee has prepared a report and has already sent it to the Lok Sabha speaker."

 

MP Nishikant Dubey accused Moitra of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in parliament targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.