Amid today's intense Lok Sabha debate on the 'Cash for Query' issue, Speaker Om Birla reiterated the house's commitment to adhering to established traditions. Birla emphasized the continuity of practices from previous Speakers, citing the precedents set by Somnath Chatterjee and Pranab Mukherjee. "This House has the tradition that the traditions followed by the previous Speakers are always further followed by the next Speakers," stated Birla during the session, news agency ANI reported.
"This is not a trial by a court. This is a discussion in Lok Sabha. This is not a court. She got ample time to explain herself before the ethics committee," Speaker Om Birla said.
Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee argued for a fair trial, asserting that a hearing should include the affected person. Banerjee requested Speaker Om Birla to allow Mahua Moitra to present her case, emphasising that the fundamental principles of law require the establishment of charges and the right of cross-examination. Banerjee highlighted the reliance on affidavits, noting that they should be substantiated by the individual making the statements.
"The main man was Darshan Hiranandani, who has relied upon his statement. No affidavit can be relied upon unless a person comes and says that whatever I have said is correct," stated Banerjee. He insisted that Mahua Moitra should have the right to cross-examine all those who brought charges against her, emphasising the violation of her protection under Article 14.
Banerjee further argued that the Ethics Committee's report on the 'Unethical Conduct' of Mahua Moitra in the "cash for query" case violated her constitutional rights. The report, presented in the Lok Sabha, recommended Moitra's expulsion and called for a time-bound, intense inquiry by the central government into the allegations. The report stated, "The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra call for severe punishment," proposing her expulsion from the Seventeenth Lok Sabha.