TMC MP Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on the recommendation of an Ethics Panel Committee report on ‘cash-for-query’ on Friday. Calling out BJP for its “vindictive politics”, West Bengal Chief Minister condemned the expulsion of TMC MP from the Lok Sabha.
Mahua Moitra expulsion LIVE Updates
She also extended her support for the expelled MP and said that the party along with others of the INDIA alliance are with Mahua Moitra. She also called the recent development “unfortunate for the democracy”.
“I am telling you that Mahua (Moitra) is a victim of the circumstances. I strongly condemn it. Our party will fight along with the INDIA alliance. It is unfortunate for the democracy.”
In addition to recommending Moitra’s expulsion from the parliament, the ethics committee also called for an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the central government in a “time-bound manner”.
After being expelled from 17th Lok Sabha, TMC leader Mahua Moitra called the Ethics Committee probing the matter another “weapon to crush opposition into submission.” She also added that the panel has broken every rule in the book.
Mahua Moitra also alleged that she was found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that ‘does not exist’. Mahua was not allowed to present her point in the Lok Sabha.
“This LS has also seen the weaponisation of the Parliamentary committee. Ironically the Ethics Committee which was set up to serve as a moral compass for members, instead it has been abused egregiously today to do exactly what it was never meant to do, which is to bulldoze the opposition and become another weapon to ‘thok do’ (crush) us into submission,” said Moitra after her expulsion on Parliament premises.
“This committee and this report have broken every rule in the book. In essence you are finding me guilty of breaching a code of ethics that does not exist,” she added.
She also alleged that the findings are solely based on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other. Moreover, her right to cross-examine the statements were also snatched.
“None of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner, who with malafide intention, masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committe. The two testimonies have been used to hang me there at polar opposites to each other,” she said.
Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More
Less
Published: 08 Dec 2023, 04:38 PM IST
