Opposition leaders lashed out at the BJP on Friday as TMC MP Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha. The lawmaker has been accused of taking cash and gifts in order to pose questions to the Parliament. Leaders from various parties staged a walkout as a voice vote led to Moitra’s removal – soon after an Ethics Committee report on the matter was tabled.
“Justice has been denied to Mahua Moitra. They did not let us speak…they tried to muffle the democratic tradition. Parties of INDIA alliance came together on this,” said TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay.
“A woman in power is something which BJP cannot tolerate. How did they think this expulsion was enough to mute her just because she spoke against BJP? In 2024, she will contest the elections,” assured fellow party leader Dr Shashi Panja.
Several lawmakers have questioned the ethics committee report since it was tabled before the Lower House of Parliament on Friday afternoon. Some contended that the Committee did not have the power to expel lawmakers while others dubbed it an “inadequate document”. Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav noted that his questions were uploaded by a personal secretary as he did not know how to operate a computer.
“So the committee came to the conclusion that she is criminal but in the next line, the committee recommends an intense legal institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner. After finding somebody criminal, why are you asking for an inquiry? This recommendation itself is completely contradictory. The person who drafted it has to read it again,” Congress MP told ANI on Friday.
“Decision was taken based on the statement of the person who levelled the allegation. It is against the natural course of justice …” added Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
“Everyone knows that she has been vehemently attacking Adani and the PM, and that is the reason why she has been expelled without any justifiable reason,” said RSP MP NK Premachandran.
“It is a black day for the Parliament,” added CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty in conversation with PTI.
He dubbed the expulsion a display of the BJP’s use of its brute majority in the Lok Sabha.
“This was done based on baseless facts and with a sentiment of revenge. This government has insulted women,” said Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Published: 08 Dec 2023, 06:17 PM IST