Amidst a storm of controversy and anticipation, the Ethics Committee’s comprehensive report on the alleged ‘cash-for-query’ case involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has been submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The report, spanning 500 pages, was slated for tabling during the Winter Session’s inaugural day on December 4, but faced unexpected delays, leaving the timeline for its presentation in question.
Aparajita Sarangi, BJP MP and a member of the Ethics Committee, confirmed the submission of the detailed report to the Speaker. However, uncertainties loom over its immediate tabling, pending the Speaker’s directive.
“The committee has submitted its comprehensive report to the Lok Sabha Speaker and it figured in the agenda yesterday. But for some reason, it could not be tabled. We are waiting for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s orders. Whenever he says, it will be tabled,” Sarangi stated.
Despite expectations of its possible presentation on the second day of the Winter Session, Mahua Moitra expressed uncertainty regarding the report’s inclusion in the House proceedings. “Let’s see. It was not on the List of Business. I don’t know whether they will place it or not. If they do so, let them,” Moitra remarked when approached by reporters.
The controversy surrounding the report escalated further when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, of prematurely leaking the report before its formal presentation in the House.
The Ethics Committee’s draft report, delivered last month to Om Birla, recommended Moitra’s expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha, citing her alleged involvement in “highly objectionable, unethical, heinous, and criminal conduct.” The investigation stemmed from accusations that Moitra had posed questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group, allegedly at the request of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.
However, dissent against the report has emerged within the Opposition ranks, with leaders such as BSP MP Danish Ali and Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury openly opposing its findings.
The report’s anticipated tabling and subsequent discussions remain uncertain, pending further directives from the Lok Sabha Speaker. The outcome and implications of this controversial investigation continue to captivate political circles as deliberations regarding Moitra’s alleged misconduct persist.
Sources By Agencies
