“A report had been drafted by the Ethics Committee on the allegations against Mahua Moitra. The report has been drafted in today’s meeting. Six members supported the report while four members submitted their dissent notes. A detailed report is being submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker tomorrow. The action, whatever it is, will be taken by the Speaker,” ANI quoted Sonkar.
Congress MP, member of Ethics Panel, Preneet Kaur voted for Moitra’s expulsion. Notably, she is the wife of former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who is now in BJP.Earlier yesterday, ET reported that the Lok Sabha ethics committee, which investigated allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, is likely to recommend her expulsion from the House, people aware of the contents of the nearly 500-page draft report had said.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Moitra, accusing her of asking questions in Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts. The draft report is learnt to have recommended Moitra’s expulsion for ‘unethical conduct’ and ‘contempt of the House’ by ‘sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials to unauthorised persons and its impact on national security’.In the report, it is learnt to have also recommended to the House an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” on the matter within a time frame. The committee is also learnt to have indicted one of its members, BSP MP Kunwar Danish Ali, for ‘unruly conduct’ and ‘spreading rumours’ by ‘twisting the intent’ of a question put to Moitra by panel chairman Vinod Sonkar during her deposition on November 2.
The draft report has also recommended a separate probe into “money trail of cash transaction between Moitra and Hiranandani”, people aware of the contents had said.
(With inputs from Agencies)