New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee will meet on Thursday to finalise the draft report in the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra. Sources say the draft report calls for “severe punishment” against Moitra, “which could not be less than her immediate expulsion” from the Lok Sabha.
According to sources, the draft report by the Ethics Committee states that Moitra’s actions were unethical, a breach of parliamentary privilege, and a contempt of the House. It also highlights a contradiction between Moitra’s and businessman Darshan Hiranandani’s statements about the gifts and favours.
The 500-page draft report, which was circulated among the members of the 15-member panel on Wednesday evening, is set to be adopted on Thursday in what is likely to be a stormy meeting.
The report will then be laid on the floor of the Lok Sabha on the first day of the winter session, which is likely to begin on December 4.
Officials with knowledge of the matter said the government will move a motion in the House on the same day to expel Moitra, a first term lawmaker from Krishnanagar in West Bengal, for the remaining term of the 17th Lok Sabha.
The panel will also ask Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take some action against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali, who is a member of the ethics committee, for allegedly twisting and moulding the intent of the chairman’s questions to Moitra and allegedly fomenting public sentiments against the panel.
Ali was one of the five Opposition MPs who stormed out of the panel’s proceedings alongside Moitra on November 2, accusing the chair of asking inappropriate and personal questions.
Functionaries maintained that the report identified a lapse by Moitra, namely sharing the MP’s login credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who corroborated the allegations in a separate affidavit before the panel.