New Delhi, Dec 04 (PTI) Opposition members on Monday demanded a discussion in Lok Sabha on the Ethics Committee report recommending the expulsion of TMC member Mahua Moitra before any decision on the matter.The opposition members made the demand during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to finalise the agenda for the House this week.
Parliamentary sources said the report of the Ethics Committee on the expulsion of Moitra from Lok Sabha over ‘cash for query’ allegations was expected to be tabled in the House on Tuesday.
The report was listed for presentation in Lok Sabha on Monday, but the agenda item was not taken up by the presiding officer.
The demand for a discussion on the ethics panel report on Moitra also came up for discussion at the meeting of INDIA bloc parties in the morning.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Congress will oppose any motion that the government may bring in Parliament to suspend or expel Moitra.
He said the party feels there is a “political conspiracy” to harass and target Moitra and demanded a discussion on the issue in Parliament.
Ramesh said the stand of the Congress was articulated by its leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who wrote a detailed letter to the Speaker, protesting against the manner in which the ethics committee report was leaked to the media.
“But our position is very clear that this is a political conspiracy to harass, to target Mahua Moitra. We will oppose any measure that the government will bring in order to suspend or expel her,” Ramesh told reporters.
“They (government) will have to introduce a resolution to expel her and we will oppose it,” he said.
“We certainly want a discussion on the ethics committee report and we want Moitra to be given an opportunity to respond to the various charges made against her,” he said, adding that the matter came up for discussion during the opposition meeting also.
The Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP member Vinod Sonkar, had adopted its report at a meeting on November 9, recommending Moitra’s expulsion from the lower house over the “cash-for-query” allegation.
Six members of the panel, including Congress member Preneet Kaur who had earlier been suspended from the party, voted in favour of the report. Four members of the panel belonging to opposition parties submitted dissent notes.
The opposition members termed the report a “fixed match” and said the complaint filed by BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a “shred of evidence”.
Moitra can be expelled only if the House votes in favour of the panel’s recommendation.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Moitra said that Trinamool leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay asked the presiding officer as to why the report of the Ethics Committee was not tabled in the Lok Sabha.
She said Congress’ K Suresh and RSP’s N K Premachandran also raised the same question, but there was no reply.
Later, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that for reasons best known to the committee, the report was not tabled.
He said there would have been some reason which “forced them” not to table the report on Monday.
“I think today or tomorrow, someday it will be tabled,” he said outside the Parliament House.
Moitra said she will comment on the report when it is tabled.
“They printed it as item number five. I don’t know much about Parliament procedure, they know everything… As far as I know, if it is item number five, it should be read at least … Let’s see when they bring it,” Moitra said.
Meanwhile, the Business Advisory Committee has decided to allot 12 hours for discussion on the three bills to replace the colonial-era criminal laws.
It also decided to allocate three hours for discussion on the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill.
The Winter Session of Parliament began on Monday and is scheduled to continue till December 22.
