11 Dec 2023 8:43 AM GMT
Lok Sabha MP from Trinamool Congress (TMC), Mahua Moitra has approached the Supreme Court challenging her expulsion from the lower house of Parliament in connection with the 'cash-for-query' allegations.
49-year-old Moitra was expelled as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) on December 8 following the Ethics panel's determination of her guilt in the 'cash-for-query' case.
For the uninitiated, the Lok Sabha last week passed a resolution to expel Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra based on the Report of the Ethics Committee over the 'cash for query' complaint.
Moitra had been accused of receiving cash in exchange for posing questions on behalf of businessman and friend Darshan Hiranandani. In an interview with The Indian Express, she had accepted the fact that she had provided her Parliament login and password details to Hiranandani, however, she had refuted the claim of receiving any cash from him.
Prahlad Joshi, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, tabled the resolution in the Lok Sabha to expel Moitra, based on the Committee's finding that she was guilty of sharing her login credentials of the Lok Sabha MP portal with unauthorised persons, which resulted in compromising national security and that she accepted illegal gratification in the form of gifts and other facilities from a businessman for raising queries.
The Minister said that the conduct of Moitra was highly unethical and unbecoming of a Member of Parliament and that she was liable to be disqualified for breach of privileges and contempt of the House.
After the house passed the resolution, Moitra addressed the press outside the Parliament, saying that there was no evidence of any cash being taken.
The recommendation of expulsion is solely based on the sharing of the login credentials, she said, while adding that there are no rules prohibiting it.
She alleged that the process was done to shut out debate on the Adani issue. "....this kangaroo court has only shown to all of India that the haste and the abuse of due process you have used demonstrates how important Adani is to you," she said.