Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has been expelled from the Lok Sabha after the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee tabled a report that recommended her expulsion in the 'cash-for-query' case. Six of the 10 members of the ethics committee had recommended Moitra's expulsion from Lok Sabha.
The over 100-paged report was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday amid an uproar by opposition MPs who questioned the procedure followed by the panel and demanded a discussion on the report. Moitra has been accused of taking bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in the Lok Sabha. The allegations were levelled by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey based on inputs from Moitra's estranged partner Jai Dehadrai, who is a lawyer in the Supreme Court.
Here are some other instances where MPs were expelled or suspended from the Parliament:
Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was suspended from parliament in March this year, 24 hours after he was convicted in the Modi surname defamation case. He was disqualified under the Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which is enabled by Article 102 (1) (e) of the Constitution of India. Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 says a lawmaker sentenced to not less than two years upon conviction will be disqualified.
The Congress leader then challenged that order in a sessions court along with a request to pause his conviction. While the sessions court granted him bail on April 20 and agreed to hear his challenge, it refused to stay the conviction. On August 4, the apex court stayed his conviction, following which his membership to the Lok Sabha was restored.
Manoj Kumar (RJD) and 10 others
In 2006, eleven MPs (10 of the Lok Sabha and one of Rajya Sabha), were expelled after the ‘cash-for-query’ sting operation by a private television channel revealed that they were accepting money as consideration for raising questions in Parliament.
The expelled members were Y G Mahajan (BJP), Chhatarpal Singh Lodha (BJP), Anna Saheb M K Patil (BJP), Manoj Kumar (RJD), Chandra Pratap Singh (BJP), Ram Sewak Singh (Congress), Narender Kumar Kushwaha (BSP), Pradeep Gandhi (BJP), Suresh Chandel (BJP), Lal Chandra Kol (BSP) and Raja Rampal (BSP).
Vijay Mallya
A day before the Ethics Committee was expected to recommend Vijay Mallya's disqualification in 2016, the independent MP resigned from the Rajya Sabha. The Ethics Committee had voted unanimously to expel him for failing to repay an estimated $1.4 billion in debts following the 2012 collapse of his Kingfisher Airlines.
HG Mudgal
H.G. Mudgal, an MP of the Provisional Parliament in 1951, was found guilty of promoting the interests of a business association in return for financial benefits by raising questions in the parliament, and moving amendments to a Bill which affected the interests of that business association. A special committee of the House found that his conduct was derogatory to the dignity of the House and hence, recommended his expulsion. But he resigned before he was expelled by the House.
Subramaniam Swamy
Subramanian Swamy was expelled on 15 November 1976 on the basis of the Report of the Committee appointed to investigate his conduct and activities. The Committee found his conduct derogatory to the dignity of the House and its members and inconsistent with the standards which the House expects from its members.
