The Parliamentary Ethics Committee probing allegations over the cash-for-queries scam has recommended expulsion of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra from Parliament. Due to lack of consensus on the report in the committee, voting was conducted.
During the voting, six members of the committee voted in favour of expulsion and four against it, a source said.The committee’s draft report found Moitra’s actions to be “highly objectionable, immoral, heinous and criminal”. The report also recommends a “legal, thorough, institutional and timely investigation” into the entire matter.
The Parliamentary Ethics Committee concluded that Mahua Moitra had shared her parliamentary login ID with “unauthorised persons” and had taken cash and other facilities from businessman Darshan Hiranandani. The committee described it as a “serious misdeed” by Moitra and demanded “severe punishment”.
The committee’s recommendation will be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday. The Ethics Committee report found that Moitra had shared her parliamentary user ID with Hiranandani and had taken cash and facilities from him. The committee also found that Moitra failed to cooperate with the committee’s investigation.
The committee recommended Moitra’s expulsion from Parliament and demanded a “legal, thorough, institutional and time-bound investigation” into the entire matter. The recommendation of the Ethics Committee will be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday. After this, Birla will decide what action to take.
If Birla accepts the committee’s recommendation, Moitra will be thrown out of Parliament. If he does not accept the recommendation, Moitra will remain an MP. The Parliamentary Ethics Committee has recommended the expulsion of Mahua Moitra from Parliament for her alleged involvement in the cash-for-query scam. The committee’s recommendation is a serious blow to Moitra’s political career and could have far-reaching implications for the Trinamool Congress.