Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra on 11 December approached the Supreme Court to contest her contentious expulsion from the Lok Sabha last week in connection with the 'cash for query' corruption case. On 8 December, Moitra was expelled from Lok Sabha for ‘unethical conduct’.
The 49-year-old politician stands accused of accepting bribes, including a hefty sum of ₹2 crore in cash and "luxury gift items," from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for posing critical questions about the government in Parliament. Additionally, she was accused of sharing login credentials to a confidential parliamentary website account, enabling Hiranandani to post questions directly.
While vehemently denying the bribery allegations, Moitra did acknowledge sharing the login details. She argued that this practice is commonplace among Members of Parliament.
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The expulsion recommendation by the ethics panel was made in November, shortly after a heated confrontation between Moitra and the panel's chief, during which she accused him of posing inappropriate questions. The panel's report was officially presented in the Lok Sabha on December 8.
The basis for Moitra's expulsion rested on Hiranandani's affidavit, asserting that she accepted bribes to raise questions targeting the Adani Group. In response, Moitra contended that she provided him with login passwords to seek assistance from his staff in drafting her questions on the parliamentary portal.
After her expulsion, Moitra attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party saying she would continue fighting it over the next 30 years.
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The opposition rallied behind Moitra over her expulsion, demanding that it should have been given a few days to read the lengthy document.
