WATCH | Mahua Moitra Expelled From Lok Sabha In Cash-For-Query Case
New Delhi: TMC MP Mahua Moitra has been expelled from the Lok Sabha after the ethics committee report on the cash-for-query row was tabled. The lower house passed the motion through a voice note, that supported her expulsion following which the opposition staged a walkout.
The case...
Moitra is accused of taking bribes in cash and luxury items from Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking questions of his interest.
She has also been accused of sharing her login credentials to her very confidential account on the parliament website with Mr. Hiranandani who used to put up questions on her account directly.
Today, while arriving at the parliament, she said in a dramatically confident tone, "Durga maa aayi hai."
Opposition in the house
The 495-page report was tabled at 12 after which the house was adjourned. When it resumed at 02:00 pm, the opposition leaders, namely Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Manish Tewari raised questions regarding the lack of time to study and analyze. Tewari also stated that the parliament is a court today.
In a short span of discussions, members of the opposition appealed to the speaker to allow the accused MP to defend herself. She stood five times to speak but could not.
Moitra not allowed to speak
The speaker, Om Birla, didn't allow her citing the expulsion of 10 MPs in 2005 that also included 6 BJP MPs who were caught in a similar controversy. The then speaker Somnath Chatterjee stated that the MPs had lost the right to speak when the report was tabled.
The unity of INDIA bloc
An amazing scene during this proceeding was seeing all the parties of the INDIA bloc in unity. The parties that had differences till yesterday advocated Moitra's right to defend and walked out of the house in solidarity.
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