Report on Mahua Moitra's future as MP tabled in Lok Sabha

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, December 8

A report of the parliamentary committee on ethics that would decide the fate of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in the ‘cash-for-query’ case was tabled in Lok Sabha on Friday.

The report was tabled amid slogan-shouting by a united opposition.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee protested in the Well saying the copy of the report titled ‘The first report of the committee on ethics’ had not been made available to the members of the House.

A united opposition protested against the report being tabled and termed it as an attack on a “woman’s dignity”.

Opposition members have insisted that there should be a discussion on the recommendations before a decision is taken on Moitra.

The committee headed by Vinod Kumar Sonkar, at a meeting on November 9, adopted its report recommending Moitra’s expulsion from Lok Sabha over the “cash-for-query” allegation.

Six members of the panel, including Congress MP Preneet Kaur, who had earlier been suspended from the party, voted in favour of the report. Four members of the panel belonging to opposition parties submitted dissenting notes.

The Opposition members termed the report a “fixed match” and said the complaint filed by BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a “shred of evidence”.

Moitra can be expelled only if the House votes in favour of the panel’s recommendation.

The report was earlier listed in the agenda of the Lower House for December 4 but was not tabled.

Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm immediately after the report was tabled.