Ethics panel wants Mahua Moitra disqualified in cash-for-query case. What now?

The Ethics Committee of the Parliament, currently conducting an inquiry into the alleged cash-for-query case involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, has reportedly recommended her disqualification for the remainder of her tenure in the 17th Lok Sabha.

The said recommendation to the Lok Sabha Speaker comes after the committee's last meeting on Thursday, November 2, which was criticised by Moitra for asking personal and inappropriate questions to her, reported India Today.

Citing the Ethics Panel recommendation India Today reported, that Moitra visited Dubai 4 times and her Lok Sabha account was logged in 47 times from the same IP address.

The allegations

• The Ethics Committee, led by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, has been looking into allegations made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
• Dubey accused the Krishnanagar MP and claimed that she received "bribes" from the Mumbai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani in return for asking questions in Parliament.
• These allegations were supported by a letter from advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, who mentioned "irrefutable evidence" of such exchanges.

Moitra has denied these allegations, saying the charges are "defamatory, false, baseless, and not supported by even a shred of evidence." 

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Panel's recommendations

• The Ethics Committee has reportedly recommended a thorough investigation into the financial transactions between Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani.
• According to India Today, the panel has drafted a comprehensive report that condemns Moitra's actions as "highly objectionable and unethical."

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What's next?

• The Ethics Committee has prepared a report on the issue, which is scheduled for adoption on Thursday, November 9.
• The 15-member Ethics Committee's report then will be submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the upcoming winter session of parliament.
• While the committee's majority leans towards the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, there were some opposition members in the panel too and they are expected to submit dissent notes.
• Five members of the opposition who had walked out of the November 2 meeting were, BSP's Danish Ali, Congress’s Uttam Kumar Reddy and V Vaithilingam, CPM’s PR Natarajan and JD(U)’s Giridhari Yadav.

Committee's stand

• The Ethics Committee's report suggests that Moitra's behaviour during the proceedings was uncooperative.
• During the panel meeting on November 2, Moitra accused the panel chairperson of asking "indecent personal questions", which led her and the opposition leaders to walk out of the meeting.
• The panel reportedly also condemned Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali for distorting the questions asked by the committee Chairman during the same meeting, accusing him of provoking public sentiments after he came out of the meeting.

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