'Cash For Query' Row: Ethics Panel Report Recommending Mahua Moitra's Expulsion To Be Tabled In Lok Sabha Today

A report from the Ethics Committee regarding allegations of a cash-for-query against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra is expected to be presented in the Lok Sabha today.

If tabled, the report, which recommends Moitra's expulsion, will ignite a fiery confrontation between the governing BJP and the opposition.

The opposition has called for a vote division to decide the immediate political fate of the Trinamool leader.

Mahua Moitra's expulsion is contingent on the House voting in favour of the Ethics Committee's report. The report deemed her actions as "highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal".

It is understood that the BJP is well prepared, having issued a three-line whip (the strictest possible) to its MPs. This implies that they are expected to attend and vote in accordance with the party's stance.

The report was scheduled to be presented on Monday, the first day of the current parliamentary session, which is set to end on 22 December.

When it is finally tabled, the opposition has said it will demand a detailed discussion.

Danish Ali, a Member of Parliament from the Bahujan Samaj Party and a member of the Ethics Committee, informed the media on Thursday, "If the report is tabled, we will insist on a full-fledged discussion... the draft was adopted in two-and-a-half minutes", referring to opposition claims the BJP-led committee rushed the report.

Mahua Moitra, 49, is accused of taking bribes, including Rs 2 crore in cash, to ask questions critical of the Narendra Modi government.

However, Moitra has categorically denied these allegations.

Moitra was also accused of surrendering her parliamentary log-in credentials to businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who allegedly paid her the bribe, so he could directly submit questions ahead of Parliament's Question Hour.

Moitra subsequently conceded to the latter accusation, but defended her actions by stating that such behavior was customary among MPs.

The accusations directed at the TMC leader incited furious protests from the BJP, with party MP Nishikant Dubey spearheading demands for probe against her.

Dubey had previously penned a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging the initiation of an investigation. The Ethics Committee wrapped up its hearings early in the previous month, culminating in a 6:4 verdict to expel Moitra.

Controversy ensued surrounding the hearings when Moitra walked out on 2 November, alleging that inappropriate inquiries were made about her and her association with Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai.

Dehadrai had lodged a second complaint with the CBI against Moitra, the investigation of which commenced a fortnight ago.

However, the committee, along with Chairperson Vinod Sonkar, expressed that Moitra was non-cooperative during the cross-examination. They noted she staged a dramatic exit to evade challenging questions.

In the end, a comprehensive 500-page report was approved by six members, one of whom was Congress MP Preneet Kaur, who voted in favor of expelling Mahua Moitra. Previously, Kaur had been suspended for "anti-party activities".

Several opposition MPs, including those on the Ethics Committee, have spoken out in favour of their colleague.

They've termed the report as a "fixed match" and claimed that the BJP lacks any substantiating evidence for their accusations.

Initially, Moitra's party chose to withhold any comments until the report's submission, but they have since come forward to defend her.

Mamata Banerjee, the leader of Trinamool and Chief Minister of Bengal, has charged the BJP with orchestrating the expulsion of Moitra.

She added that this move would, however, be advantageous for Moitra in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election, which is only a few months away.