Mahua Moitra To Be Expelled From Lok Sabha? Ethics Committee Adopts Report On Cash-For-Query Case With 6:4 Split Verdict

The report on the 'cash-for-query' allegations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra was adopted by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on Thursday (9 November).

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. According to India Today sources, a draft report has suggested the disqualification of Moitra from Lok Sabha.

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. On the other hand, Danish Ali, V Vaithilingam, PR Natarajan, and Giridhari Yadav were among those who opposed the report.

The committee, led by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, previously listened to statements from Mahua Moitra, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey who lodged the complaint against her, and Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey recently claimed 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 has taken legal action against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Dehadrai. She has 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.