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Cong’s Adhir writes to Om Birla against expulsion of Moitra
In his four-page letter to Birla, Chowdhury said that there is “no clear definition of unethical conduct” and a “code of conduct” is yet to be formulated for Lok Sabha MPs
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against the ethics panel recommending Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra’s expulsion over the “cash-for-query” charge, saying that it is “an extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications”.
Chowdhury also said procedures followed by the committee might need to be examined, adding that the protocols related to the functioning of the Lok Sabha’s official portal “will have to be looked into”.
In his four-page letter to Birla, Chowdhury — usually a fierce critic of the TMC— said that there is “no clear definition of unethical conduct” and a “code of conduct” is yet to be formulated for Lok Sabha MPs. He added that before Moitra’s case, the Lok Sabha’s ethics committee dealt with only a “minuscule” number of complaints and the punitive actions recommended were not as severe.
“As per records, prior to Ms. Mohua Moitra’s case, the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha has dealt with a minuscule number of cases… and the punitive action recommended being confined to: admonition, reprimand and suspension from the sittings of the House for a specified period... Expulsion from Parliament, you will agree sir, is an extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications,” the Congress’s floor leader in the Lok Sabha wrote in his letter.
Moitra is set to be expelled from the Lok Sabha on Monday as the chief of the Lower House’s ethics committee is scheduled to table the panel’s report on the first day of the winter session. A ruling side member, possibly parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, is likely to move the motion to expel her, people aware of the matter said. Several Opposition leaders have maintained that they will oppose any move to expel Moitra.
On November 9, the Lok Sabha ethics committee adopted the report recommending the TMC lawmaker’s expulsion, by a margin of 6-4, for sharing her login credentials and password with an unauthorised person, its impact on national security, and finding that it amounted to unethical conduct and contempt of the House. The recommendations of the report also mentioned that Moitra accepted “money — cash and kind, amenities and various other facilities” from businessman Darshan Hiranandani, with whom the password and login details were shared. It noted that 50 out of the 61 questions asked by Moitra in Parliament sought information “with the intent of protecting or perpetuating business interests” of Hiranandani. Moitra has denied the allegations.
In his letter, Chowdhury said that the Dubai-based businessman who purportedly had access to Moitra’s “login credentials” was not called for deposing before the panel
“It is also not clearly known as to why the businessman chose to turn against the member (Moitra) despite his interests apparently being served by way of posing questions by using the login credentials. Accepting gifts and giving gifts ... is a common social practice and it would be extremely difficult to link or attribute accepting gifts to be a money trail for deriving favours,” he added
This is the second cash-for-query case in Parliament in two decades. A sting operation by online site Cobrapost on December 12, 2005, showed 11 MPs accepting cash in exchange for raising questions in the Parliament. All of them were subsequently expelled from the House.
Chowdhury, however, argued that the two cases were not similar. “All concerned in the 2005 case… were examined on oath, their evidence recorded and made part of the report of the panel. It is not clear whether the well-established procedure was followed and a money trail that is irrefutable has been established in case of the complaint or allegation against Ms. Mahua Moitra,” he said.
Chowdhury pointed out that while rules say proceedings of the ethics panel are strictly confidential, in Moitra’s case, “the Chairman of the Ethics Committee, as well as the complainant Member, were openly parading their views and passing judgments”.
The Congress floor leader urged the Speaker to have “the entire processes relating to the jurisdiction and procedures followed examined.” “I am sure that under your leadership and control, no injustice will be done, and the processes relating to the functioning of Parliament and conduct of the Business of the House is smoothened for the benefit of all Members of the House,” he said.
