TMC's Mahua Moitra Moves Supreme Court Challenging Her Expulsion From Lok Sabha Over Cash-For-Query Allegations

49-year-old Moitra was expelled as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) on December 8 following the Ethics panel's determination of her guilt in the 'cash-for-query' case.

For the uninitiated, the Lok Sabha last week passed a resolution to expel Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra based on the Report of the Ethics Committee over the 'cash for query' complaint.

#BREAKING Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra moves #SupremeCourt challenging her expulsion from the #LokSabha.

On December 8, the Lok Sabha passed a resolution to expel Moitra citing unethical conduct based on a Report of the Ethics Committee. pic.twitter.com/rIO0PNZXnx

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) December 11, 2023

Moitra had been accused of receiving cash in exchange for posing questions on behalf of businessman and friend Darshan Hiranandani. In an interview with The Indian Express, she had accepted the fact that she had provided her Parliament login and password details to Hiranandani, however, she had refuted the claim of receiving any cash from him.

Prahlad Joshi, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, tabled the resolution in the Lok Sabha to expel Moitra, based on the Committee's finding that she was guilty of sharing her login credentials of the Lok Sabha MP portal with unauthorised persons, which resulted in compromising national security and that she accepted illegal gratification in the form of gifts and other facilities from a businessman for raising queries.

The Minister said that the conduct of Moitra was highly unethical and unbecoming of a Member of Parliament and that she was liable to be disqualified for breach of privileges and contempt of the House.

“Wherein her conduct has further been found to be unbecoming of a member of Parliament for accepting illegal gratification through gifts and other facilities from a businessman to further his interest which is a serious misdemeanour and highly deplorable conduct on her part, accept the recommendations and findings of the committee and resolve that continuance of Mahua Moitra as member of Parliament, member of Lok Sabha as untenable and she may be expelled,” the motion stated.

After the house passed the resolution, Moitra addressed the press outside the Parliament, saying that there was no evidence of any cash being taken.

The recommendation of expulsion is solely based on the sharing of the login credentials, she said, while adding that there are no rules prohibiting it.

She alleged that the process was done to shut out debate on the Adani issue. "....this kangaroo court has only shown to all of India that the haste and the abuse of due process you have used demonstrates how important Adani is to you," she said.