BSP MP Danish Ali has raised objections to the upcoming report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, which recommends the expulsion of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra over “cash-for-query” allegations.
Ali, a member of the ethics panel, claims that the report contains a paragraph that refers to his conduct during the committee’s meetings and has urged Speaker Om Birla to have it deleted before its tabling in the House.
In a letter addressed to Speaker Birla, Ali cited parliamentary rules asserting that the committee’s chairman lacks the authority to include details about individual members, their conduct, or opinions expressed in committee meetings. He emphasized, “It is completely beyond the jurisdiction of the honorable chairman of the committee to have inserted that offending paragraph.”
“I have noticed that the recent report by the ethics committee named ‘cash-for-query’ contains some shocking and completely unwarranted facts about me,” Ali stated in his letter.
“As a matter of fact and in law, it is completely beyond the jurisdiction of the honorable chairman of the committee to have inserted that offending paragraph.” He demanded the removal of the paragraph concerning him before the report is presented in the Lok Sabha.
The BSP MP expressed concern that the Ethics Committee, in examining the “cash-for-query” allegations, had overstepped its boundaries by commenting on his objections during the meetings.
Ali suggested that targeting him sends a message discouraging members from speaking out against the ruling party, characterizing it as an attempt to stifle opposition voices.
Sharing his letter to Speaker Birla on social media, Ali stated, “Lok Sabha Ethics panel, while examining cash-for-query allegations, has gone beyond its remit to comment on my objections during the meeting. It seems by targeting me, a message is being sent that no member should speak out against the ruling party. This amounts to throttling opposition voice.”
The Ethics Committee, chaired by Vinod Kumar Sonkar, is set to present its first report in the Lok Sabha on Monday, during the Winter Session of Parliament. The report recommends the expulsion of Mahua Moitra based on the “cash-for-query” allegation. The committee adopted the report on November 9, with six members voting in favor, including Congress MP Preneet Kaur, who had previously been suspended from the party. Four opposition members submitted dissent notes, labeling the report a “fixed match” and asserting that the complaint lacked supporting evidence.
The fate of Mahua Moitra’s expulsion depends on a House vote in favor of the committee’s recommendation. The Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to continue until December 22.