National Desk, 11th December: In a decisive move, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra has approached the Supreme Court in response to her expulsion as a Lok Sabha MP following the ‘cash-for-query’ case. The expulsion came after the Lok Sabha endorsed an Ethics Committee report accusing Moitra of receiving gifts and illicit gratification from businessman Darshan Hiranandani, a claim vehemently denied by Moitra.
Post-expulsion, Moitra voiced her strong criticism of the ethics panel, accusing it of ‘acting without evidence’ and branding it a ‘weapon’ used to ‘overpower’ the Opposition. Representing the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, Moitra asserted that she was denied a fair chance to defend herself during the discussion of the ethics panel’s report in the House.
Moitra highlighted her inability to cross-examine key individuals, including her estranged partner Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, both of whom levied ‘cash-for-query’ accusations against her. The allegations were initiated by Dubey, who accused TMC of soliciting questions in Parliament ‘for cash and gifts’ from Hiranandani, supported by a letter from advocate Dehadrai presenting ‘irrefutable evidence’ of the alleged transaction.
Hiranandani further submitted a letter to the ethics committee, alleging Moitra shared her Parliamentary login credentials to enable him to ‘post questions on her behalf’. The episode unfolded on November 2, when Moitra, along with other Opposition leaders, exited the ethics committee meeting due to the nature of the questions posed by the chairman, who was subsequently criticized for asking ‘personal questions’ to Moitra. This controversial incident led to the adoption of the committee’s report and Moitra’s subsequent expulsion from her Lok Sabha MP position.
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