The only norm that the Lok Sabha MP has followed is to defy the powers that be. In doing so, she has ruffled feathers, and some would say that she has done so even within her own party. Faced with the toughest challenge of her political career so far, Moitra is fighting back fiercely. The same combativeness is well evident in her exclusive interview with THE WEEK where she says that she has nothing to hide and that the Ethics Committee acted like a kangaroo court. Edited excerpts:
Q/ The Ethics Committee has finalised its report which will come to the Lok Sabha, dominated by the BJP. If they expel you, what will be your first step?
A/ In this case, there is no mention of any cash. Although the fake complaint talks about cash, the so-called corroborating affidavit makes no mention of it. So where is the bloody cash? About these gifts, there is a very vague paragraph in the corroborating affidavit. This person who is the alleged bribe giver is an Indian citizen, he is equally culpable of bribing a public servant. So where is the list of gifts? Why was this person not called by the Ethics Committee? The only gifts on the table are the ones that I have spoken about, which is one birthday present and two lipsticks.
The recommendations of the Ethics Committee are laughable. Number one is to expel, number two is to ask an agency to investigate. So if you have not found any evidence, how do you ask for someone’s expulsion? The Ethics Committee cannot expel an MP, only a special committee or a Privileges Committee can. This is a kangaroo court. Let the expulsion happen and I will then let people know what I am going to do next.
Q/ You have the option of filing a writ petition.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
