The Week

Mahua Moitra row: Opposition demands discussion on ethics panel report in Lok Sabha

Panel report is likely to be tabled in parliament on Tuesday

TMC MP Mahua Moitra on the first day of the Winter session of Parliament in New Delhi | PTI TMC MP Mahua Moitra on the first day of the winter session of Parliament in New Delhi | PTI

The opposition members have demanded a discussion in Lok Sabha on the ethics committee report recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra over the cash-for-query allegations, before any decision is taken on the matter.

The report is likely to be tabled in the lower house on Tuesday. 

The opposition members made the demands during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday to finalise the agenda for the house.

The ethics committee, headed by BJP MP Vinod Sonkar, had adopted its report at a meeting on November 9, recommending Moitra’s expulsion and a detailed probe into the allegations against her. While six members voted in favour of the report, four members submitted their dissent notes.

Moitra can be expelled if the house votes in favour of the panel's recommendation.

The TMC MP on Monday refused to comment on the report and said she would speak only when it’s tabled in parliament.

"What can I say when it was not even tabled (before the Parliament)? Had they tabled it, I would have said something. I will speak when they table it,” she told reporters outside parliament.

There were speculations that the report would be tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that for reasons best known to the committee, the report has not been tabled. He said there would have been some reason which "forced them" not to table the report on Monday.

"I think today or tomorrow, someday it will be tabled," he said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said Moitra should be given a chance to speak in her defence.

"We are looking at a situation where if they are going to bring this motion to endorse the recommendation of the Ethics Committee to expel a member, they have to give the member a chance to speak in her defence, and they have to permit a discussion where others can raise serious issues," Tharoor told news agency ANI.

Tharoor further said that the government’s decision to not table the report on Monday was a good sign.

 "That the item of filing the Ethics Committee report was skipped (on Monday) when they laid papers on the table... I hope that is a good sign that the government is rethinking this rather extreme step," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who had earlier written to the Speaker over the allegations against Moitra, said on Monday that Chowdhury leaked the ethics panel report before it was tabled in Lok Sabha.

"...Let the report be tabled. I don't know what is mentioned in the report...What I had to say, I said before the Ethics Committee...I will be able to make a comment only after the report is tabled. The report will be tabled after 12 pm...I don't know how was the report leaked, I think Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury leaked it..." he told ANI.