BSP MP Danish Ali, Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav, and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy were among those who “walked out” of the meeting. Moitra too alleged that she was subjected to humiliating personal questions from the panel.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra
The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha, investigating the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamul Congress MP Mahua Moitra by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, will now meet on 9 November for “consideration and adoption” of its draft report.
Earlier, the meeting of the panel headed by Mr Vinod Kumar Sonkar was scheduled to be convened on 7 November.
Announcing the rescheduling of its next meeting, the Ethics Committee said it would meet on 9th November. Its agenda will be “consideration and adoption of draft report,” concerning its “Examination of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by Dr Nishikant Dubey, MP against Smt Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament.”
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Moitra had appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on 2 November over the cash-for-query allegations against her. She had walked out of the meeting, along with Opposition members of the panel, last Thursday, who raised questions over the line of questioning and alleged that “personal questions” were posed to the Trinamul Congress MP.
BSP MP Danish Ali, Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav, and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy were among those who “walked out” of the meeting. Moitra too alleged that she was subjected to humiliating personal questions from the panel.
She had described the episode as “proverbial vastraharan (stripping)” referring to the chapter in Mahabharat, where Kauravas humiliated Padavas’ queen Draupadi in darbar.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Moitra stated that “unethical, sordid, prejudiced behaviour was meted out” to her during the meeting.
The Ethics Committee Chairperson, Sonkar on Thursday alleged that “un-parliamentary language” was used by Ms Moitra against him and other members during cross-examination following her deposition before the panel.
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