Ethics Committee recommends Mahua Moitra's expulsion from Lok Sabha, intense time-bound inquiry

NEW DELHI :The Ethics Committee report probing 'Unethical Conduct' of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra in the "cash for query" case that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday recommended that Moitra "may be expelled" from the Lok Sabha and called for an "intense, legal, institutional inquiry" by the central government in a "time-bound manner".

"The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha," the report read.

Calling for a government enquiry it said, "In view of highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct of Mahua Moitra, the Committee recommends for an intense, legal, institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner."

The Committee also recommended an investigation by the government into the 'money trail' of cash transactions between Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani as a part of 'quid pro quo'.

"The 'money trail' of cash transaction between Smt Mahua Moitra and Shri Darshan Hiranandani as a part of 'quid pro quo' should be investigated by the Government of India in a legal, institutional and time-bound manner," the report said.

On unruly conduct and rumours spread by Bahujan Samaj Party MP Kunwar Danish Ali, the committee recommended that he be 'admonished' for twisting or moulding the intent of question put forth by the Ethics Committee Chairperson to Moitra on November 2.

"Kunwar Danish Ali, MP and Member of the Committee on Ethics should be 'admonished' for twisting/moulding the intent of question put forth by the Chairperson, Committee on Ethics to Smt Mahua Moitra during her deposition on 2 November, 2023 with the objective of fomenting the sentiments of public, at large, as well as, disparaging the self-esteem of Chairperson and other Members as well as breaching Rule 275(2) contained in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha," the recommendation read.

The Ethics Committee report was submitted amid a ruckus created by TMC MPs raising slogans like "haye, haye...".

The Ethics Committee, which investigated the allegations made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, adopted its 500-page report on November 9 recommending Moitra's expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha in view of her "highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct."

The draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. The report on Moitra's cash-for-questions case reveals that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times. Six members of the panel voted in favour of the report, including Congress MP Preneet Kaur who had earlier been suspended from the party. Four members of the panel belonging to opposition parties submitted dissent notes.

The opposition members termed the report a "fixed match" and said the complaint filed by Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a "shred of evidence".

Moitra can be expelled only if the House votes in favour of the panel's recommendation. The TMC has demanded that Moitra be given a chance to put forth her defence. Moitra had appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on November 2 over the cash-for-query allegations against her. Along with opposition members of the panel, she had "walked out" of the meeting. The opposition members who were part of the Ethics Committee raised questions over the line of questioning and alleged that "personal questions" were posed to the Trinamool Congress MP.