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New Delhi: 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)
