In response to Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra’s legal challenge against her expulsion from the Lok Sabha, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Lok Sabha secretary general. The court has requested an official response within three weeks. However, the court has refrained from granting Moitra permission to participate in Lok Sabha proceedings.
Moitra’s expulsion resulted from allegations of her direct involvement in cash-for-query charges and unethical conduct. The ethics panel found her guilty of sharing her parliamentary login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for bribes. Despite her denial of any bribery exchange, the former MP faced expulsion based on the panel’s findings.
Moitra moved the Supreme Court against her expulsion, contending that the ethics panel lacked the authority to expel her and criticized the absence of evidence supporting cash acceptance. She highlighted the panel’s refusal to permit cross-examination of Hiranandani and her former partner Jai Anant Dehadrai, the original complainant.
Hiranandani, who accused Moitra of accepting gifts in return for posing questions on the Adani Group in Parliament, has filed a complaint with the CBI, alleging surveillance by Moitra. The expelled MP, vowing to continue her fight against the BJP, criticized the lack of action against MPs making objectionable remarks.
As legal proceedings unfold, the expulsion of Mahua Moitra raises questions about parliamentary ethics and due process, setting the stage for a contentious legal battle.
