'Unacceptable': Mamata Banerjee slams BJP as Mahua Moitra expelled as Lok Sabha MP
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday slammed the BJP over TMC leader Mahua Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over TMC leader Mahua Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha after a debate on the cash-for-question allegations, calling the move “unacceptable” and a “betrayal” of the country's parliamentary democracy.
“Today, I am sad to see the attitude of the BJP party...How they betray the democracy. It is a shame for parliamentary democracy. They did not allow Mahua to explain her stand. Full injustice has been done,” Banerjee told the media.
Stating that the TMC stands with Mahua, the CM said, “They (the BJP) can't defeat us in the election, so they have resorted to vendetta politics. It is a sad day.”
"…But, she (Moitra) will return to Parliament with a bigger mandate. The BJP thinks the party can do whatever it wants as they have a brute majority. They must keep in mind that a day might come when they may not be in power,” Banerjee added.
After a heated debate over the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee panel report during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to expel the TMC member for "unethical conduct", which was adopted by a voice vote.
Following her expulsion, the TMC leader dared the BJP that she would fight it over the next “30 years, inside and outside Parliament, inside gutter, on streets". She also accused the saffron party of hating Muslims and women. "National security with a login portal? Mr. Adani is buying all our ports, all our airports... His shareholders are foreign investors and the ministry of home affairs is giving them clearance to buy all our infrastructure," she said outside the Parliament.
What is the cash-for-query allegation against Mahua Moitra?
Mahua Moitra found herself amidst a political storm when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused her of accepting bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to pose questions in Parliament - a complaint which was initially brought by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai. According to Dubey, Dehadrai provided "irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged" between Moitra and Hiranandani.
Following this, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee initiated a probe and adopted a report last month by a 6-4 majority, accusing Moitra of sharing her login credentials and password with an unauthorized person, compromising national security. The report alleged that Moitra accepted a combination of “money - cash and kind, amenities, and various other facilities” from Hiranandani, with whom she shared login details.
