'Cash For Query' Case: Government Likely To Seek Mahua Moitra's Suspension As Lok Sabha Member

The government is likely to seek suspension of Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra's Lok Sabha membership after the submission of the report by the ethics panel in the cash-for-query case.

Moitra is accused of taking money from a prominent businessman in exchange for asking questions in the Parliament.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat's agenda papers indicate that Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, is slated to present the committee's report on Monday (4 December), NDTV reported.

The committee, at a meeting on 9 November, adopted its report recommending Mahua Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha over the allegations.

Vinod Sonkar, the panel chief, announced that six members of the ethics panel supported the report, while four members opposed it regarding the charge against TMC MP Mahua Moitra.

The ethics panel had members who supported the adoption of the report, including Aparajita Sarangi, Rajdeep Roy, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Preneet Kaur, Vinod Sonkar, and Hemant Godse.

The committee previously heard to statements from Mahua Moitra, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey who lodged the complaint against her, and Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

The committee was probing the allegations by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey that there were "bribes" being exchanged between Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani, with the intention of Moitra asking questions in Parliament in return for cash and gifts.

This allegation was based on a letter by Moitra's "jilted ex" Dehadrai, which referred to "irrefutable evidence" of the alleged exchange between Moitra and Hiranandani.

Mahua Moitra has dismissed the allegations made against her and taken legal action against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Dehadrai.

She stated that the charges of accepting benefits to perform her duties as a Member of Lok Sabha are defamatory, false, baseless, and lack any evidence.