Mahua Moitra Expulsion: TMC MP Mahua Moitra was accused of taking money from industrialist Hiranandani for asking questions in the Lok Sabha. He was expelled from Parliament in this case. However, Mahua had challenged the cancellation of his Parliament membership in the Supreme Court. The court has adjourned the hearing on Mahua Moitra’s petition till January 3, 2024. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said they had received the case file only on Friday morning, so they would need time to consider it.
What did lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, say?
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Moitra, sought to present arguments through the petition filed by Moitra, but the bench postponed the hearing on reopening of the court after winter vacations. Singhvi argued that he can go to the court after going through the file and facts of the case. Justice Khanna said no, I would like to read it myself.
The matter came to light when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey filed a complaint against Moitra and accused her of accepting cash and goods in exchange for asking questions for businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Later, Moitra said that she had shared her login credentials with Hiranandani, but the allegations against her were not true.
However, the matter reached the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha, which also summoned Moitra. But after appearing before the committee, the TMC leader said that he had to face verbal ostracism. The committee submitted its report finding Moitra guilty of this act and recommended that she should be expelled. During the debate, the BJP accused Moitra of endangering the reputation of the country and Parliament by sharing her login credentials with someone else and taking bribes in exchange for questions being asked in the House.
The TMC leader has already filed a defamation case against Dubey in a Delhi court, making false and defamatory allegations in connection with the cash-for-query controversy. He moved the court against Dubey, lawyer Jai Dehadrai, 15 media organizations and three social media intermediaries, saying false and defamatory allegations have been made against him.
