New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, which met briefly on November 9, adopted a report prepared by its chairman the on ‘cash for query’ allegations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, with a 6-4 vote. The report recommended Moitra’s expulsion from the Lok Sabha.Suspended Congress MP Preneet Kaur voted in favour of the report while the other four Opposition MPs submitted dissent notes, the Hindu reported. Kaur, suspended by the Congress in February on charges of aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party, aligned with the majority in this instance.The committee is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar.BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai had earlier alleged that Moitra accepted cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani as bribes for asking questions in the Lok Sabha. Moitra vehemently denied these allegations, deeming them “completely baseless.” She asked the committee to summon Hiranandani and to also give her the opportunity to cross-examine him and Dehadrai. But the the committee’s chair did not agree.Also read: What to Make Of TMC’s Near Silence on Cash-For-Query Row Involving Mahua Moitra?According to the Hindu, the report condemned Moitra for “unethical conduct” and “contempt of the House” for sharing her Lok Sabha log-in credentials with Hiranandani. Though Moitra said MPs routinely share their login credentials with interns and others, the committee termed it a “serious misdemeanor.”The panel recommended “severe punishment”, urging the Government of India to conduct an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” in a “time bound manner”.The panel has left it for the Union government to investigate and establish the existence of a money trail if any.Also read: Ethics Committee on Mahua Moitra’s Adani Questions Sees ‘Vertical Spilt’ Between BJP, OppositionBefore Thursday’s meeting, Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali accused the Ethics Committee chairman and BJP members of leaking the proceedings of the panel in violation of rules, the Times of India reported. He said the entire report was adopted within minutes.The Ethics Committee’s report will be sent to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, who will decide whether to make it public. As per the rules, the committee chairman will table the report in the House during the next session of parliament. After that, the House will debate on the report’s findings.After the debate, the government may move a motion on the member’s expulsion. If passed, the member will be expelled from the House.Moitra can challenge the decision in the court of law.
