Kolkata: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee voiced support for MP Mahua Moitra on Monday, asserting that the party stands behind her in the face of a recommendation for expulsion from Lok Sabha over a 'cash-for-query' controversy. He also asserted that Moitra is fully capable of handling her battle.
Opposition MPs expressed surprise as the report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee recommending the expulsion of Moitra in a "cash-for-query" case was not tabled in the House though it was listed on Monday's agenda. The report, scheduled for presentation after the Question Hour, remained untabled till around 1 pm when the House adjourned for lunch.
Mahua Moitra is capable of fighting her own battle. The party is with her on this issue, stated the TMC national general secretary. Banerjee also mentioned the "harassment" he and his family have faced from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in recent years. I and my wife had to appear before the agencies for 12 times in the last few years. One has to fight his or her own battle, Banerjee said.
Last month, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee hinted at plans to expel Moitra from Parliament, suggesting that such action would benefit the Krishnanagar MP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Moitra was recently assigned the task of strengthening the party's organisation in Nadia district, signalling clear support from the TMC.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had forwarded a complaint against the Trinamool Congress member by lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing her of taking bribes for asking questions in the House at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, submitted its report earlier this month, recommending Moitra's expulsion for accepting "illegal gratifications" to raise questions in Parliament on behalf of the businessman. Moitra dismissed the decision as a "prefixed match by a kangaroo court" and deemed it a "death of parliamentary democracy."
