Expel Moitra, says panel; Speaker to take final call

The Lok Sabha ethics committee on Thursday adopted a report recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) parliamentarian Mahua Moitra for sharing her login credentials and password with an unauthorised person, its impact on national security, and finding that it amounted to unethical conduct and contempt of the House.

- Saubhadra Chatterji

The recommendations of the report, which was adopted by a margin of 6-4, also mentioned that Moitra accepted “money — cash and kind, amenities and various other facilities” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani, with whom the password and login details were shared. It also noted that 50 out of the 61 questions asked by Moitra in Parliament sought information “with the intent of protecting or perpetuating business interests” of Hiranandani.

“Moitra had deliberately shared her Lok Sabha login credentials with Darshan Hiranandani, a business tycoon, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, thereby, facilitating him to operate the same from Dubai for raising parliamentary questions in Lok Sabha. Therefore, Smt Mahua Moitra is guilty of unethical conduct, breach of her privileges available to members of Parliament and contempt of the House,” the panel concluded.

Officials aware of the matter said that Moitra — a first-time lawmaker from Krishnanagar in West Bengal— is set to be removed from the Lok Sabha on the first day of the winter session after the report is laid in the House.

“The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment. The committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP, may be expelled from the membership of the 17th Lok Sabha,” the report said.

Preneet Kaur, a suspended Congress parliamentarian, voted along with the ruling dispensation and backed the recommendation to expel Moitra, one of the most vocal lawmakers from the Opposition.

The panel also asked for an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the Centre in a time-bound manner in view of the “highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct of Mahua Moitra”.