The Ethics Committee report, on cash for query charges against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, is scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha today. It has been listed in the business of the house today. Meanwhile BJP has issued a line whip to all its MPs of Lok Sabha to be present in the House today.
If tabled, the report, which recommends Ms Moitra be expelled, will trigger an explosive stand-off between the ruling BJP and the opposition, which has demanded a division of votes to determine the Trinamool leader’s immediate political future.
Mahua Moitra, who can only be expelled if the House votes in favour of the Ethics Committee’s report, which declared it found her actions “highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal”.
The BJP, though, is believed to be well-prepped and a three-line whip (the strictest possible) was issued to its MPs; this means they are expected to be present and vote in line with the party’s position.
The report was to have been tabled on Monday, the opening day of this session of Parliament, which concludes on December 22.
When it is finally tabled, the opposition has said it will demand a detailed discussion. Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali, one of the members of the Ethics Committee, told reporters 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 ₹ 2 crore in cash, to ask questions critical of the Narendra Modi government. She has flatly denied the charges. Ms 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.
Ms Moitra later admitted to the latter charge but argued this was common practice among MPs.
The charges against the Bengal leader provoked furious protests by the BJP, for whom MP Nishikant Dubey led calls she be investigated. Mr Dubey had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to begin an inquiry. The Ethics Committee hearings concluded early last month in a 6:4 decision to expel.
There was controversy over the hearings too, after Ms Moitra walked out of one on November 2 claiming “filthy questions” had been asked of her and her relationship to Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who filed a second complaint with the CBI; that investigation began two weeks ago.
The committee and Chairperson Vinod Sonkar, however, said Ms Moitra had not co-operated during cross-examination and walked out, staging a dramatic exit, to avoid facing tough questions.
Eventually, a 500-page report was cleared with six members, including Congress MP Preneet Kaur voting to expel Mahua Moitra. Ms Kaur had earlier been suspended for “anti-party activities”.
Several opposition MPs, including those on the Ethics Committee, have spoken out in favour of their colleague. They have declared the report a “fixed match” and claimed the BJP has no evidence to support its charges. Ms Moitra’s party, which remained silent in the initial stages of the inquiry, arguing it would wait for the report to be submitted before reacting, has since defended its member.