Tag: Mahua Moitra

Trinamool Congress (TMC)

TMC Buries Cong Alliance Hopes, Names Candidates For All 42 Seats In Bengal

By LokMarg

Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday announced 42 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, fielding expelled Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra from Krishnanagar.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, announced the TMC candidates at a show of strength in the heart of Kolkata on Sunday.

As expected, Abhishek Banerjee is on the TMC ticket from Diamond Harbour while former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan has been fielded from Behrampore. He will be pitted against Congress heavyweight Adhir Chowdhury.

Mahua was expelled as a Lok Sabha MP on December 8 following the report by the Parliamentary Ethics Panel in connection with the alleged ‘cash-for-query’ case.

The announcement of candidates also put rest all lingering hopes of a seat-sharing pact with the Congress in the state. However, despite not allying with the Congress, the TMC continues to be an ally of the grand old party in the INDIA bloc.

Earlier on Sunday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Trinamool Congress will announce the candidates for all 42 seats in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Today, I will bring before you candidates for all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal,” West Bengal CM said at the rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds of Kolkata

The Trinamool Congress kicked off the campaign for the upcoming elections through its show of strength.

In the previous Lok Sabha polls, the TMC won 22 seats while the BJP sprung a major surprise, winning 18 seats. The Congress won the remaining two seats.

In 2019, the BJP-led National Democratic (NDA) won a total of 303 seats, leaving the grand-old party behind at 52 seats.

The Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

ED Issues 2nd Summons To Mohua

By LokMarg

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday issued a second summons to Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra in connection with irregularities in a foreign exchange contravention case asking her to join the probe on March 11.

The fresh summons followed the earlier one when she skipped the investigation and did not appear before the investigators on February 19.

Moitra has been asked to appear before the agency’s headquarters in Delhi with some documents related to some foreign investments.

The agency wants to question Moitra in the case under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.

The ED investigators want to record her statement linked to the case.

The 49-year-old politician is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too and it is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against her on the reference from the Lokpal.

It is learnt that the ED case is based on the reference of the CBI case.

Moitra has been in controversy since Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey accused her of asking questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.

Dube had also accused Moitra of compromising national security for monetary gains.

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. Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and claimed she was being targeted as she had raised questions on the deals of the Adani Group.

“Neither has Lok Pal uploaded any referral order on the website as per the Lokpal Act and nor has CBI put out anything official. ‘Sources’ telling journos as per usual media circus. Hope Rs 13,000 crore Adani coal scam merits CBI PE before my witchhunt,” Moitra had said on X in November.

Moitra had also approached the Supreme Court challenging her expulsion from the lower house of Parliament in connection with the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

Delhi HC Rejecting Mahua’s Plea Seeking Media Gag

By LokMarg

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the plea moved by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra seeking to restrain the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from leaking any “confidential or unverified information” to the media concerning the investigation against her under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).

The Delhi HC stated, “This Court has carefully perused the various news articles which have been annexed with the writ petition. The newspaper cuttings do not deal with the private life of the Petitioner but are only reportings regarding the investigation that is being conducted against the Petitioner who is a public figure and same is unrelated to her private life.”

The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad also said, “There is nothing in the news articles that would have the effect of invading into the privacy of the Petitioner (Mahua Moitra) or tend to impair the impartiality of the investigation or that it can have the effect of prejudicing the trial of the Petitioner in the event it is initiated.”

Court noted that the statement made by the Counsel for ED that the Advisory on Media Policy issued by the Government of India vide Office Memorandum dated 01.04.2010 has been and is being followed, and after perusing the news articles, this Court believes that the reliefs as sought for by the Petitioner by way of the present writ petition need not be granted at this stage and the writ petition is dismissed.

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra’s plea to restrain the Enforcement Directorate from allegedly leaking any confidential, unverified information to media related to the ongoing FEMA probe against her.

Advocate Siddhant Kumar, who appeared for ANI, contended before the High Court that the reporting concerning a public figure regarding acts committed as a public official. It is the right of the press to report on the conduct of public officials such as Mahua Moitra who is also seeking to contest the next general election.

During the hearing, ED told the court it had not leaked any information to the media. How the information about her being summoned came to the press, we are not aware, said the ED counsel.

Mahua Moitra had moved Delhi High Court sought direction to restrain ED and 19 media houses from leaking, broadcasting and disseminating any “confidential or unverified information” concerning ED’s investigation against her regarding proceedings under FEMA.

The plea alleged that ED has wilfully and maliciously leaked the details of the FEMA summons, as well as the response submitted by the Petitioner to the 14 February Summons and sensitive details of allegations being investigated against the Petitioner.

It appears that ED intends to subject the Petitioner to a media trial by leaking sensitive particulars, including salacious allegations, allegedly stemming from their ongoing investigation and thereby, not only prejudice the investigation into the matter but also tarnish the Petitioner’s reputation in the public eye.

Instead of undertaking a fair, transparent and ethical investigation into the alleged violations of the FEMA by the Petitioner, it appears that ED is pursuing efforts to vilify the Petitioner in the public eye by deliberately and consistently drip-feeding members of the media with every single detail of the investigation being conducted by ED against the Petitioner, plea read. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

Mahua’s Office: Bungalow Vacated Before 10 AM

By LokMarg

Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra’s office informed reporters that the government bungalow occupied by the TMC leader in the national capital, was vacated by 10 am on Friday before the ‘authorities’ arrived and ‘no eviction’ took place.

“House number 9B Telegraph Lane occupied by Mahua Moitra, was fully vacated by 10 am this morning (January 19, 2024) and the possession was handed over by her lawyers to the Directorate of Estates, who are inspecting and engaged in due process. Premises were vacated before authorities arrived and no eviction took place at all,” Moitra’s office said in a statement to ANI.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Delhi High Court refused to grant relief to the TMC leader and denied her stay on the operation of eviction of the government bungalow.

Moitra challenged the eviction order and sought a stay.

The high court noted that her eviction was not stayed by the Supreme Court. Justice Girish Kathpaliya dismissed the interim application seeking a stay of operation of the eviction order of January 16, 2024.

Dismissing her application the high court stated, “In view of the pendency of the issue of expulsion of petitioner before the Supreme Court and the issue of extension of time to vacate the government accommodation being inextricably linked with that, coupled with the fact that as on date petitioner has no right.”

“This court is not inclined to invoke jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India to restrain the operation of the impugned eviction order. Accordingly, the application stands dismissed,” the HC stated in its order.

“The petitioner having been allotted the government accommodation incidental to her status as a Member of Parliament and that status having ceased upon her expulsion, which expulsion has not been stayed by the Supreme Court despite hearing afforded to her, presently she has no right to continue in the said government accommodation and accordingly, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, she cannot be granted protection as sought,” Justice Kathpaliya said in the order pronounced on Thursday.

The court stated further that the allotment of government accommodation to the ‘petitioner’ was a co-terminus with her status, which has come to an end upon her expulsion as a member of the Lower House of Parliament.

The court pointed out that no specific rule had been brought before the court pertaining to the eviction of MPs from the government accommodation after they cease to be members.

The petitioner sought retention of her government accommodation on the ground that her expulsion as a Member of Parliament was “contrary to law and the procedure laid down by Section 3B of the Act was not followed and despite the respondent no. 1 (Estate officer) having deferred the decision till resolution of representation of the petitioner by authorities the eviction order was passed”.

It was also submitted that in view of her medical condition and the difficulties she would face during campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, she deserves an extension of time to vacate the government bungalow allotted to her. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

Will Not Get Back Down, Says Mahua’s Advocate

By LokMarg

After alleging that former Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra was conducting surveillance against him, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, says that he has filed his complaint with the CBI and will not back down.

Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai was also the complainant in the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ case which led to the suspension of Mahua Moitra from Parliaments.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai said, “I have given my complaint to CBI. This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not back down. “

Earlier, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai on Tuesday alleged that TMC leader Mahua Moitra is carrying out “illegal surveillance on him with her contacts in West Bengal police”.

In a letter written to CBI Director Praveen Sood and Union Home Minister Amit Shah dated December 29, Advocate Dehadrai said that there might be a possibility that the TMC leader is “tracking” his physical location by using his phone number.

Dehadrai in his letter, also alleged, “Moitra has a demonstrated history of misusing her clout and connections with certain Senior Officers of Bengal Police to obtain the Call Detail Records (CDR) of private individuals to satisfy her desire to stalk the precise whereabouts of certain individuals as also the details of the individuals they are in touch with.”

Advocate Dehadrai also stated in his complaint that earlier, the TMC leader was actively “tracking a person named Suhaan Mukerji in 2019”.

“Moitra informed me orally on multiple occasions in the past as also in writing (on WhatsApp on 26.09.2019) that she had been actively tracking her ex-boyfriend, one Suhaan Mukerji as she suspected him of being in a relationship with a German lady,” the letter read.

Jai Anant Dehadrai further alleged that Moitra, with the assistance of “Senior Bengal Police Officers”, had the entire call records and history of Mukerji’s phone in which she had precise information about the individuals who had been “in contact with Mukerji as also the precise physical location of Mukerji’s phone for all hours of the day”.

The Advocate also stated that Mahua Moitra has made several threats to him in the past and also said that on several occasions he felt that his car was being followed outside his residence in Delhi.

Responding to the allegations made in the complaint, Mahua Moitra in her post on X, urged the Home Ministry to appoint a Special Director in the CBI for complaints by ‘jilted exes’ all over India.

“Urging MHA to set up a special Director CBI to probe all complaints by loser jilted exes pan India. Gratified to see Shahenshah of all Peeping Toms cc’d on the complaint. – he honed his surveillance skills covering up for his Sahib in Gujarat and can supervise CBI,” she said in a post on X.

Moitra, facing cash for query allegations, was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the Parliament adopted the report of its Ethics Committee, which was probing the matter. Moitra said that the Ethics Committee, without getting to the root of the investigation, decided to hang her. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

I Will Fight BJP For Next 30 Years: Mahua

By LokMarg

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha over the cash-for-query scandal, dared the Bharatiya Janata Party that she would fight it over the next “30 years, inside and outside Parliament, inside gutter, on streets”.

Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.

“I am 49 years old and for the next 30 years, I will fight you inside the Parliament and outside; in the gutter and on the streets…We will see the end of you…This is the beginning of your end…We’re going to come back and we’re going to see the end of you,” Moitra said.

Mahua Moitra also invoked Ramesh Biduri’s objectionable remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali asking why no action was taken against the BJP leader.

“Ramesh Biduri stands up in Parliament and makes objectionable remarks against Danish Ali, one of the few Muslim MPs…. the BJP has sent 303 MPs but hasn’t sent one Muslim MP to Parliament. No action has been taken against Biduri for abusing Ali…You hate minorities, you hate women, you hate nari shakti,” she said.

The expelled Lok Sabha MP alleged that she has been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that ‘does not exist’.

Following her expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha as a Trinamool Congress MP in a ‘cash for query’ case, TMC leader Mahua Moitra on Friday said that the Ethics Committee probing the matter is another “weapon to crush opposition into submission” and that the panel has broken every rule in the book.

Soon after her expulsion, she read her statement on Parliament premises and said, “This LS has also seen the weaponisation of the Parliamentary committee. Ironically the Ethics Committee which was set up to serve as a moral compass for members, instead it has been abused egregiously today to do exactly what it was never meant to do, which is to bulldoze the opposition and become another weapon to ‘thok do’ (crush) us into submission.”

“This committee and this report have broken every rule in the book. In essence you are finding me guilty of breaching a code of ethics that does not exist,” Moitra said, adding that the committee is punishing her for engaging in a practice that is routine, accepted and encouraged in the House.

Moitra further alleged that the findings are solely based on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms and her right to cross examine them was snatched.

“None of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner, who with malafide intention, masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committe. The two testimonies have been used to hang me there at polar opposites to each other,” she said.

“The complainant says (that) I accepted cash in consideration for my businessman to ask questions in furtherance of his commercial interests. But the businessman’s suo motu affidavit, says I pressurised him into uploading questions to further my agenda. The two are at pole of opposites,” she clarified on the issue.

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had 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.

Questioning the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra as a Member of the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that after finding somebody criminal, why are you asking for an inquiry?

“So the committee came to the conclusion that she is criminal but in the next line, the committee recommends an intense legal institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner. After finding somebody criminal, why are you asking for an inquiry? This recommendation itself is completely contradictory. The person who drafted it has to read it again,” Congress MP said.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday said that all of this is being done based on “baseless facts” and with a “sentiment of revenge.”

“This was done based on baseless facts and with a sentiment of revenge. This government has insulted women,” Adhir said.

Meanwhile, BSP MP Danish Ali also reacted to the expulsion and said that Moitra was not given the opportunity to speak for herself.

“I’ve put this (poster) because the committee also mentioned me in its recommendation because I want to bring her justice…She wasn’t given an opportunity,” Danish Ali said.

After the explusion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that this isn’t an issue related to women, adding that Moitra admitted receiving gifts (from Darshan Hiranandani).

Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.

“In 2005, when 10 MPs were expelled, at the time the report was presented on the same day. This isn’t an issue related to women. She herself admitted of receiving gifts (from Darshan Hiranandani). What other proof is required now?” Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs told reporters in Friday.

West Bengal BJP chief and MP Sukanta Majumdar said that if Moitra wanted to give any answer, she should have given it in front of the committee.

“Earlier too Congress had suspended 10 MPs in a day. This isn’t happening for the first time. Yes, it might be happening for the first time in the history of West Bengal…The accused can never present his side in the Lok Sabha, if the accused has to present the side it has to be infront of the Ethics Committee. Mahua Moitra was called before the committee. She presented her side for some time. Later, when she had to answer the questions, she could not answer and ran away… If you had to give any answer, you should have given it in front of the committee,” Majumdar said.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya, said that Moitra’s expulsion was imminent to restore the credibility of the institution.

“Mahua Moitra had become the face of impropriety in Parliament. Her expulsion was imminent to restore the credibility of the institution,” Malviya posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“But it is Mamata Banerjee’s patronage and selective support for the delinquent MP that must be questioned. She had the state CID snooping on her so she was aware of everything Mahua Moitra was up to. Did she wilfully allow the MP to undermine the institution of Parliament to exercise leverage on corporate houses? What did the poor of Bengal gain? Poor have lost their land and acres of mango groves to Mamata Banerjee’s corporate friends. And the people of Krishnanagar, the constituency Mahua Moitra was elected from, suffered, since no one raised their issues,” he added.

“We now know what her priorities were! Mamata Banerjee must sack Mahua Moitra from the TMC, failing which it would be obvious that she was acting at her behest. Anyway, nothing moves in the TMC without Mamata Banerjee’s consent and active collusion,” he said.

Moreover, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said that there should be no politics on the issue of national security.

Speaker Om Birla said, “…This House accepts the conclusions of the Committee that MP Mahua Moitra’s conduct was immoral and indecent as an MP. So, it is not appropriate for her to continue as an MP…”

The House was then adjourned till December 11.

The opposition MPs immediately staged a walkout after the Lok Sabha adopted the motion to expel Mahua Moitra as TMC Member of Parliament.

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had 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.

Union Parliamentary Pralhad Joshi had moved the motion to consider the report of the Ethics commitee which was further taken up for the debate.

Mahua Moitra is facing the heat of the “cash-for-query” allegations against her. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had recently recommended her expulsion from the Lower House.

The draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. As per the sources, the draft 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. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

Moitra’s Conduct Was Unethical, Says Ethics Panel Member Aparajita

By LokMarg

Following the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha in a ‘cash for query’ case, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Ethics Committee member Aparajita Sarangi on Friday said that Moitra’s conduct was “unethical” and it should be condemned.

Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.

“I am also a woman, I want to say that whether woman or man, we all are MPs…as per the system, both women and men MPs need to work…Mahua Moitra has done unethical conduct, so it should be condemned. If opposition is standing with her then they are supporting a wrong thing,” Aparajita Sarangi said on Friday.

She further said that the explusion of TMC MP is a lesson to all MPs, when we become MPs, we take an oath, we’re supposed to follow certain rules.

“This is a lesson to all MPs, when we become MPs, we take an oath, we’re supposed to follow certain rules…the whole country is watching us…In Mahua Moitra’s case, immorality was visible…this is the reason why she was expelled from Lok Sabha,” Sarangi added.

The expelled Lok Sabha MP alleged that she has been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that ‘does not exist’.

Following her expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha as a Trinamool Congress MP in a ‘cash for query’ case, TMC leader Mahua Moitra on Friday said that the Ethics Committee probing the matter is another “weapon to crush opposition into submission” and that the panel has broken every rule in the book.

Soon after her expulsion, she read her statement on Parliament premises and said, “This LS has also seen the weaponisation of the Parliamentary committee. Ironically the Ethics Committee which was set up to serve as a moral compass for members, instead it has been abused egregiously today to do exactly what it was never meant to do, which is to bulldoze the opposition and become another weapon to ‘thok do’ (crush) us into submission.”

“This committee and this report have broken every rule in the book. In essence you are finding me guilty of breaching a code of ethics that does not exist,” Moitra said, adding that the committee is punishing her for engaging in a practice that is routine, accepted and encouraged in the House.

Moitra further alleged that the findings are solely based on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms and her right to cross examine them was snatched.

“None of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner, who with malafide intention, masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committe. The two testimonies have been used to hang me there at polar opposites to each other,” she said.

“The complainant says (that) I accepted cash in consideration for my businessman to ask questions in furtherance of his commercial interests. But the businessman’s suo motu affidavit, says I pressurised him into uploading questions to further my agenda. The two are at pole of opposites,” she clarified on the issue.

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had 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.

Speaker Om Birla said, “…This House accepts the conclusions of the Committee that MP Mahua Moitra’s conduct was immoral and indecent as an MP. So, it is not appropriate for her to continue as an MP…”

The House was then adjourned till December 11.

The opposition MPs immediately staged a walkout after the Lok Sabha adopted the motion to expel Mahua Moitra as TMC Member of Parliament. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra Expelled From Parliament Over ‘Cash For Query’

By LokMarg

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra was on Friday expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.

Mahua Moitra, who was not allowed to speak during the discussion inside the House, the Trinamool leader read out her statement outside the Lok Sabha.

She said that the Ethics committee broke every rule.

Opposition staged a walkout after the Lok Sabha adopted the motion to expel the TMC MP.

The House was then adjourned till December 11.

Speaker Om Birla said, “…This House accepts the conclusions of the Committee that MP Mahua Moitra’s conduct was immoral and indecent as an MP. So, it is not appropriate for her to continue as an MP…”

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had 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.

Participating in the debate today over the Ethics Panel report in the lower house, Manish Tewari, who was nominated by the Congress to speak on the issue questioned whether the procedure of the Ethics Committee overrides the fundamental principle of Natural Justice.

“Can the procedure of the Ethics Committee override the fundamental principle of natural justice which is the organising principle of every justice system in the world? From what we read in the newspaper, the one who has been made an accused – she was not able to complete her deposition. What kind of procedure is this?”

He further said that the Ethics Committee can recommend whether a Member is guilty or not but it cannot decide what would be the exact punishment.

Later Ms Moitra reacted to her expulsion while speaking to mediapersons outside Parliament

“This is a fundamental distinction. That power lies with this House. The Ethics Committee can best make recommendations about whether a person is guilty or innocent. It is with the House to decide what would be the quantum of punishment. Here recommendation of the Commitee is fundamentally flawed,” he said.

Congress MP further raised a point that can a party direct its MPs to vote in a particular way in an impeachment procedure.

“Can a whip be issued? because this is like directing a judge to decide on a particular matter. This is a complete travesty of Justice. This House should be adjourned. All whips should be withdrawn,” he said.

Manish Tewari said that today the Parliament has turned into a court to which Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla replied, “No this is not a court. This is a House. I am not a judge, the House will decide what to do.”

Congress MP continued on the Whip issue and said,” When according to a 10th schedule a whip is issued then it is completely anti to the principle of Natural Justice. The fundamental principles of natural justice are thrown to the winds in this House.”

“Never have I ever seen in my entire life that a House is sitting like a judicial body. would not have fallen if all member would have been allowed to study the on the floor of the House said, “

Congress party demands more time to read the papers. I am stating this on a common sense basis. The report was tabled at around 12 noon, How can such a huge report be studied in such a short period of time. Is that even humanly possible?”

He further stated that according to the principle of Natural Justice, TMC MP Mahua Moitra should be given a chance to speak for herself.

“Please allow another three to four more days. In the principle of Natural Justice, th TMC MP should be given a chance. Don’t let this new Parliament building become a symbol of grace,” he said.

Union Parliamentary Pralhad Joshi had moved the motion to consider the report of the Ethics commitee which was further taken up for the debate.

Reiterating the party’s demand, Congress MP Manish Tewari in Lok Sabha said, “As Adhir Ranjan said, heavens would not have fallen had we given 3-4 days to take cognisance of this report and then keep our opinions before the House because it is going to make a decision on a very sensitive matter.

Questioning the procedure followed by the Ethics panel, Manish Tewari said, “Can the procedure of the Ethics Committee override the fundamental principle of natural justice which is the organising principle of every justice system in the world? From what we read in the newspaper, the one who has been made an accused – she was not able to complete her deposition. What kind of procedure is this?”

He further said that the report of the Ethics Panel is fundamentally flawed.

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 call 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.

Earlier the leaders from the Congress and Trinamool questioned the investigation.

TMC MP Nusrat Jahan said, “Has it actually been fairly conducted? We don’t know. Because this Government hasn’t been really fair when it comes to women. We have asked for a hard copy of the report. Our leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay has asked for it.”

Claiming that no proper procedure was followed by the Ethics committee over its adoption of the report which led to recommending the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from Lok Sabha, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called it a ‘disgrace’ and said that this is nothing but a political vendetta by BJP.

Mahua Moitra is facing the heat of the “cash-for-query” allegations against her. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had recently recommended her expulsion from the Lower House.

The draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. As per the sources, the draft 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 suspended Congress MP Preneet Kaur. 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”. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Mahua Moitra

Mahua Deposes Before LS Ethics Committee, Cross-Examination Begins

By LokMarg

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday appeared for her deposition before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee in connection with the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ charge against her.

According to sources, Mahua Moitra has given a statement and there will now be a cross-examination by the Committee.

Sources said that certain members of the committee differed over the statement given by the Trinamool MP.

Moitra will now be cross examined based on the alleged evidence shared by the complainants BJP MP Nishkant Dubey and Advocate Jai Dehadrai.

The committee led by BJP MP Vinod Sonkar and comprising MPs V Vaithilingam, Danish Ali, Sunita Duggal, Aparajita Sarangi, Parneet Kaur, Swami Sumedhanand and Rajdeep Roy began their deposition at the committee room this morning.

Earlier on November 2, Mahua Moitra had in a letter to the ethics panel requested for a summons date after November 5 citing pre-scheduled Vijaya Dashmi programmes. The panel, however, asked her to appear before it today.

Moitra is facing ‘Cash for Query’ charges made by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that the Trinamool MP had taken bribes from Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani to raise questions in Parliament to target the Adani Group.

Dubey also wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, titled “Re-emergence of nasty ‘Cash for Query’ in Parliament”, seeking a probe into the matter. He also claimed that Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai had provided him with proof of alleged bribes.

The BJP MP and Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, the complainant in case had appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on October 26 to provide oral evidence of their allegations.

On Wednesday, Moitra made public her letter to the Ethics Committee chairman and BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar. Posting a two-page letter on her X handle, Moitra said, “Since the Ethics Committee deemed it fit to release my summons to the media I think it is important I too release my letter to the Committee before my hearing.”

In her letter, Moitra alleged that advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai had provided no documentary evidence to back his allegations in either his written complaint and neither could he provide any evidence in his oral hearing.

“In keeping with the principles of natural justice I wish to exercise my right to cross-examine Dehadrai,” she wrote in her letter to the Committee.

“In light of the seriousness of the allegations, it is imperative that the alleged ‘bribe-giver’ Darshan Hiranandani, who has given a ‘Suo-Motu’ affidavit to the Committee with scant details and no documentary evidence whatsoever, be called to depose before the Committee and provide the said evidence in the form of a documented itemised inventory with amounts, date etc” she further wrote.

“I wish to place on record that in keeping with the principles of natural justice I wish to exercise my right to cross-examine Hiranandani,” Moitra added.

The Trinamool MP had asked the Ethics Committee to answer in writing and place on record their decision to either allow or disallow such cross-examination.

Moitra also raised concerns over the ‘double-standards’ of the Ethics Committee and

highlighted that the panel was adopting a different approach in the case of BJP MP Ramesh Biduri, who she says has a very serious complaint of hate speech.

“In direct contrast, a very different approach has been adopted in the case of Shri Ramesh Biduri, MP, BJP who has a very serious complaint of hate speech (which was openly made on the floor of the House) pending against him in the Privileges and Ethics branch made by a Hon’ble member of this same Committee, Shri Danish Ali, MP. Biduri was summoned on October 10, 2023 to provide oral evidence and informed the Committee that he was away campaigning in Rajasthan and would not be attending. No further date of his hearing has been given so far. I wish to place on record that these double-standards reek of political motives and do little to enhance the credibility of the Privileges & Ethics Branch,” Moitra said in her letter.

The Trinamool MP also questioned the jurisdiction of the committee in investigating alleged criminality. “There is also the question of whether the Ethics committee is the appropriate forum to examine alleged criminality. I wish to respectfully remind you that Parliamentary Committees do not have criminal jurisdiction and have no mandate to investigate alleged criminality…. This check was specifically created by our nation’s founders to prevent even the slightest misuse of Committees by the government enjoying a brute majority in Parliament”, Moitra wrote. (ANI)

For more details visit https://lokmarg.com/