New Delhi: Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on Friday due to “unethical conduct,” following a heated debate over the Ethics Committee’s cash-for-query report. The committee recommended her expulsion for allegedly sharing her parliamentary credentials and accepting bribes to ask questions in Parliament. The decision led to opposition members walking out of the House during the vote.
Speaker Om Birla announced the expulsion, stating, “This House accepts the conclusions of the committee that MP Mahua Moitra’s conduct was immoral and indecent as an MP.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the decision, calling it “unacceptable” that Moitra wasn’t allowed to explain her stand.
Moitra, after her expulsion, accused the Ethics Committee of acting without proof, emphasizing that the findings were based on conflicting testimonies. She expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “I have been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that does not exist.” Moitra also asserted that the move was an attempt to silence her on issues like Adani.
In response, she vowed to continue the fight both inside and outside Parliament, claiming the Ethics Committee was misused as a “weapon to force us into submission.” Moitra, 49 years old, pledged to persist in her efforts for the next 30 years, condemning what she perceived as an abuse of due process.