According to the updated business list of Lok Sabha, the Ethics Panel’s chairman Vinod Kumar Sonkar and member Aparajita Sarangi will present the ‘First Report (Hindi and English versions) of the Committee on Ethics’ on Friday.
The report of the Ethics Committee regarding Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra in an alleged “cash-for-query” case is set to be presented in the Lower House on Friday. The report was originally scheduled for the opening day of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament but could not be taken up. It is now listed as agenda number 7 for Friday’s business.
TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay advocated for Mahua Moitra to be given a chance to speak, while Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali expressed hope that her case will be discussed in the Lok Sabha and emphasized the importance of a thorough and constructive discussion on the matter.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh stated that everything will be done according to the parliamentary procedure. Last month, a 500-page draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority. According to sources, the draft report reveals that Mahua Moitra visited the UAE multiple times and her member portal login credentials were accessed from Dubai on 47 occasions.
The draft report is said to suggest severe punishment for Moitra, including possible expulsion from the Seventeenth Lok Sabha, and recommends an intense, time-bound inquiry by the Government of India into her conduct. It accuses her of accepting money, gifts, and amenities from a businessman based in Dubai, leading to allegations of unethical conduct and contempt of the House.
Notably, Nishikant Dubey had written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accusing Moitra of targeting the Adani Group in exchange for gifts but several opposition leaders, including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, have opposed the report.