Mamata Banerjee termed expulsion of Mahua Moitra as “murder of parliamentary democracy” perpetrated by the “vendetta politics” of the BJP.
Mahua Moitra Expulsion: In a sharp reaction to the expulsion of fellow party MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee Friday termed the action against Moitra as “murder of parliamentary democracy” perpetrated by the “vendetta politics” of the BJP.
Launching a scathing attack against the BJP, Mamata Banerjee, who was in Kurseong, accused the ruling dispensation of indulging in vendetta politics and said that her party was standing behind the now expelled member of Parliament Mahua Moitra.
‘Democracy betrayed’
“I was sad to see the attitude of the BJP. I do not understand how they function, today a 495-page report was submitted in the Parliament and immediately they passed it, they gave just few minutes for MPs to speak. In the name of their majority they have passed this judgement without giving enough time to anyone to even read the report” the West Bengal Chief Minister said.
#WATCH | “This is vendetta politics of BJP. They killed democracy….It is injustice. Mahua will win the battle. The people will give justice. They (BJP) will be defeated in the next election,” says TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee. pic.twitter.com/Y88F8YhNwK
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2023
“How were members expected to go through a 495-page report in such a short notice. I was happy to see the united INDIA alliance walk out and fight back. The party fully supports Mahua Moitra, she is a woman and a young MP. Today the BJP has betrayed democracy and democratic rights. They did not allow Mahua to explain her own stand. Without justice, you have done injustice. This is a betrayal of constitutional rights” the TMC Chief added.
Terming the action against the now-expelled Krishnanagar MP as an example of BJP’s vindictive politics, Banerjee claimed that Moitra was not given any chance to defend herself. ” We can also expel anyone from the house, we have 2/3rd majority (in West Bengal Assembly), but is it right?,” she asked.
‘Fight against BJP will go on’
“Everyone must get their voice to defend themselves. I condemn it and the party will fight with the INDIA alliance. This incident has opened our eyes to the vindictive politics of the BJP. I thought the PM would consider it and allow her to speak. I am shocked and it is a sad day for the Indian parliament” Mamata Banerjee said.
The TMC chief said her party would back Mahua Moitra and that her party would fight this battle in the court of the people now.
“Only one session of Parliament was left after this. Now Mahua can attend the Public’s Parliament and this will boost her image she should fight this morally. We all will fight this. People will give us justice in the next election. Shame on BJP” Mamata Banerjee said.
Mahua Moitra expelled
Earlier, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.
Mahua Moitra, who was not allowed to speak during the discussion inside the House, the Trinamool leader read out her statement outside the Lok Sabha and said that the Ethics committee broke every rule. Opposition staged a walkout after the Lok Sabha adopted the motion to expel the TMC MP. The House was then adjourned till December 11.
In her defence Mahua accused the BJP of weaponizing the Ethics committee to act against opposition leaders.
‘BJP weaponizing institutions against opposition’
“This Lok Sabha has also seen the weaponization of a Parliamentary Committee. Ironically, the ethics committee was set up to serve as a moral compass for members. Instead, it has been abused egregiously today to do exactly what it was never meant to do. Which is to bulldoze the opposition and become another weapon to ‘Thok Do’ us into submission,”Mahua Moitra said after her expulsion as TMC MP.
VIDEO | “I am 49 years old, I will fight you for the next 30 years inside Parliament, outside Parliament,” says TMC leader @MahuaMoitra after Lok Sabha expelled her from the House, adopting Ethics Committee recommendation in ‘cash-for-query’ matter.
Earlier, Opposition members… pic.twitter.com/xprZDxKIW2
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 8, 2023
“The findings are based solely on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms none of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner who with malafide intention masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committee. The two testimonies have been used to hang me, they are polar opposites to each other,” she said.
#WATCH | “The Ethics Committee has no power to expel….This is the beginning of your(BJP) end,” says Mahua Moitra after her expulsion as TMC MP. pic.twitter.com/WZsnqiucoE
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2023
UBT Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the decision to expel Mahua was against the course of natural justice,” Decision was taken based on the statement of the person who levelled the allegation. It is against the natural course of justice.”
BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi who was also part of the Ethics Committee defended the decision saying MPs need to adhere to high principles.
” This is a lesson to all MPs, when we become MPs, we take an oath, we’re supposed to follow certain rules…the whole country is watching us…In Mahua Moitra’s case, immorality was visible…this is the reason why she was expelled from Lok Sabha…” Aparajita Sarangi said.
The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had recommended that Moitra “may be expelled” from the Lok Sabha and called for an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the central government in a “time-bound manner”.
“The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha,” the report read.
The report was adopted by a 6:4 majority by the Ethics panel last month. The report on Moitra’s cash-for-questions case revealed that she had visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times. Six members of the panel voted in favour of the report, including suspended Congress MP Preneet Kaur.
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 Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a “shred of evidence”.
(With inputs from agencies)