LS panel's report holds Moitra guilty, seeks time-bound probe

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha on Friday over cash-for-query allegations after the Lower House adopted a report by the ethics committee, which recommended her expulsion for sharing her login credentials and password with an unauthorised person, its impact on national security, and accepting gifts and possibly cash as a “quid pro quo” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

- Vrinda Tulsian

The report noted three aspects.

One, it found Moitra guilty of unethical conduct and contempt of the House for sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials -- user ID and password of the Lok Sabha members portal -- to unauthorised person and its impact on national security.

“The serious misdemeanours on the part of Smt Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Smt Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the membership of the 17th Lok Sabha. In view of highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct of Smt. Mahua Moitra, the Committee recommend for an intense, legal, institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner,” the report of the panel said.

The panel said that a “threadbare examination” had established, beyond doubt, that Moitra had “deliberately” shared her Lok Sabha login credentials with Hiranandani. “Therefore, Smt Mahua Moitra is guilty of unethical conduct, breach of her privileges available to members of Parliament and contempt of the House.”

The committee also flagged a potential national security threat.

“The highly objectionable and deplorable conduct of Smt. Mahua Moitra also prima facie has an impact on the national security. However, the extent of national security compromised by such irrepressible and reckless actions of Smt Mahua Moitra could only be pragmatically quantified by undertaking a structured institutional by the Government of India. Notwithstanding this, all the above narrated serious misdemeanours on the part of Smt Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment...”