Lok Sabha Has Seen Weaponization Of Parliamentary Committee, Kangaroo Court Has Shown Importance Of Adani: TMC MP Mahua Moitra

After the Lok Sabha expelled her from the house by accepting the Ethics Committee's recommendation, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra termed the committee a "kangaroo court" and said that the committee was weaponised against her. 

Speaking to reporters after her expulsion, Moitra said that the haste with which she was expelled demonstrates "how important Adani is to you".

Moitra was accused by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey of taking bribes to ask questions in Lok Sabha. The matter was referred to the Ethics Committee and six of the 10 members of the committee recommended her expulsion. After the Lok Sabha convened after 2 pm, the house accepted the committee's recommendation after a brief discussion and expelled Moitra. Speaker Om Birla rejected the TMC's request to allow Moitra to respond to the report or to the Congress party's request to take up the issue after three to four days so that the MPs have enough time to go through the committee's report. 

Moitra slammed the report and said there was no real evidence and the recommendation was based on the statements of two private individuals who made contradictory statements. She also discredited her estranged partner Jai Dehadrai, who was the source for the alleged evidence on which Dubey filed the complaint against Moitra.

"The findings are based solely on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms none of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner who with mala fide intention masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committee. The two testimonies have been used to hang me, they are polar opposites to each-other," said Moitra. 

Moitra further said that the proceedings showed to "what length you will go to harass a single woman MP into shutting her into submission". 

Moitra further slammed the committee and highlighted that while she has been expelled no action has been taken against BJP MP Ramesh Bhiduri, who had abused BSP MP Danish Ali with a slew of expletives, including an anti-Muslim expletive. 

Moitra further said that the entire case against her was based on sharing of her parliamentary email credentials, but no rules governing it. She further said that no evidence of cash or gifts was found as was alleged in Dubey's complaint. 

Through the day, the TMC sought the permission for Moitra to respond to the report against her, but Birla rejected the request. During the brief discussion on the report against her, Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded that three to four days should be given to MPs to study the nearly 500-page report of the ethics committee. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also said that the house does not have power to expel Moitra.