Parliament Winter Session 2023: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourn for the day to meet again on December 11

The proceedings of Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day to meet again at 11:00 am on Monday (December 11). 

"Mahua Moitra was accused, and she wasn't even given a chance to speak in the House. It's evident that this is an anti-women government, that introduced the Women's Reservation Bill as a scam. They became so apprehensive of her that they had to expel her from the Lok Sabha," says Congress leader Alka Lamba on Mahua Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha.

Congress MP Rajni Patil says, "This government's behaviour is - You show me the person & I will show you the rule. Different rules are set for different people..."

After the report of the Ethics Committee recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in a "Cash-for-query" matter was tabled in Lok Sabha, TMC MP Nusrat Jahan came out in support of her fellow party parliamentarian and said that she must be given an opportunity to speak for herself as Moitra is the most affected person in this case. Questioning the Ethics panel investigation, TMC MP from Basirhat targeted the Modi government and said that it is not compassionate to women in this country.

Sad day for Indian parliamentary democracy: WB CM Mamata Banerjee on TMC MP Mahua Moitra's expulsion from Lok Sabha

TMC leader Mahua Moitra on Friday equated her expulsion from the Lok Sabha with hanging by a "kangaroo court" and alleged a parliamentary panel is being weaponised by the government to force the opposition into submission. Minutes after her expulsion as a Lok Sabha member, Moitra said she has been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that does not exist and that there was no evidence of cash or gift given to her. The Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha had recommended her expulsion in the "cash-for-query" case. The report was tabled in the House Friday noon. Later the government moved a motion seeking her expulsion from the House, saying her continuation as an MP has become "untenable". She said one of the two complainants was her estranged partner with a mala fide intention. She said he masqueraded as a common citizen before the ethics panel.

"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.

BJP is taking revenge from Mahua Moitra, my support is with her: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. They (BJP) had majority in Lok Sabha so they took revenge from her today in cash for query case. 

On Mahua Moitra's expulsion as a Member of the Lok Sabha, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said, " ...They did not let us speak...they tried to muffle the democratic tradition...parties of I.N.D.I.A bloc came together on this..."

"Everyone knows that she has been vehemently attacking Adani and the PM, and that is the reason why she has been expelled without any justifiable reason," says RSP MP NK Premachandran on the expulsion of Mahua Moitra as TMC MP. 

Entire case against me based on sharing of login details, but no rules govern this aspect: Mahua Moitra after expulsion from Lok Sabha

"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.

Cash for query matter: TMC's Mahua Moitra expelled as a Member of the Lok Sabha; House adjourned till December 11. 

Speaker Om Birla said, "This House accepts the conclusions of the Committee that MP Mahua Moitra's conduct was immoral and indecent as an MP. So, it is not appropriate for her to continue as an MP".

"I am 49 years old, I will fight you for the next 30 years inside Parliament, outside Parliament," says TMC leader Mahua Moitra. 

Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned for day after House expels TMC MP Mahua Moitra for 'unethical conduct'

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla denied permission to Mahua Moitra to speak inside the House and cited the 2005 episode concerning then Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and said that he had denied permission to 10 MPs who were also charged with 'cash-for-query'. Sudip Bandopadhyay urged the Speaker to let Mahua Moitra speak in the House and present her case.

"I am just following the traditions set by previous Speakers. You enforced the traditions," Om Birla said.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said that the Ethics committee's findings are not based on evidence. He said that the House does not have the right to expel an MP.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee, during the debate, said that Mahua Moitra's right was violated by the Ethics Committee during the hearing of the 'cash-for-query' allegations.

TMC MPs urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to allow Mahua Moitra to speak in the House. The Speaker, however, cited earlier traditions in a similar case when the accused MP was not allowed to present the case in the House and denied permission.

"We have to give the message to the world that if an MP does something unethical, this House can expel them,: BJP MP Heena Gavit said.

BJP MP Heena V Gavit, during the debate, said that TMC MP Mahua Moitra accepted in front of the Ethics committee that she had shared the ID and password with Hiranandani and people of his company.

"She was given a complete opportunity to present her side to the panel," she said.

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday asked the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding the sense of social justice, during the debate over the Ethics panel report which recommended the expulsion of Mahua Moitra, and asked if the Lower House "override the founding document (Constitution) that has brought the House into existence?"

The Opposition has demanded time from Lok Sabha to study the Ethics panel report on Mahua Moitra, which was submitted earlier today. The report has recommended the expulsion of the TMC MP.

Ethics Committee report recommends the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from Lok Sabha and an investigation by the Government of India in time bound manner.

The report reads -

(i) The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra call for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha.

(ii) In view of highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct of Mahua Moitra, the Committee recommends for an intense, legal, institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner.

"We haven't got it (Ethics Committee report) yet. Let me go and have lunch. I will come back after having my lunch," said TMC MP Mahua Moitra.

The report was tabled in Lok Sabha earlier today amid uproar from the Opposition MPs who questioned the procedure followed by the panel and demanded a discussion on the report.

"Has it actually been fairly conducted? We don't know. Because this Government hasn't been really fair when it comes to women," TMC MP Nussrat Jahan said.

The Ethics panel report on Mahua Moitra was tabled in the Lok Sabha. "It is most unfortunate that Parliament is being reduced to such a  performance of political vendetta," Tharoor said.

The ethics panel report on Mahua Moitra, in connection with the cash-for-query probe, was tabled in the Lok Sabha. The House was adjourned soon after amid Opposition sloganeering till 2 pm.

Soon after the Lok Sabha met again at 12 noon, the Opposition MPs started sloganeering, leading to the adjournment of the House for the second time in the day. The House was adjourned till 2 pm.

The Opposition MPs began sloganeering in Lok Sabha as the House began once again after the adjournment.

"Can they not ask her in the House in front of everyone...It appears to be a dictatorship," he said.

"We want her to continue in the Parliament. This is a normal style of the BJP to silence voices against it," he said.

"We want the decision to be taken at the earliest and action to be taken," BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said.

Lok Sabha was adjourned soon after commencing at 11 am. The ethics panel report will be tabled once the House proceedings get underway at 12 noon.

Ethics Panel report on TMC MP Mahua Moitra is expected to be tabled in the House today.

"Whether it will be discussed, who will speak on it - all of these will be decided by the Speaker. That is what the rules say," Dubey said.

"They have started 'vastraharan' and now you will watch 'Mahabharat ka rann'," Mahua Moitra said as she arrived at the Parliament ahead of the ethics panel report in Lok Sabha.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has given an adjournment motion notice to discuss the condition of Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu and seeking directions to the Central Government for immediate action to release a minimum of Rs 5100 crore to facilitate comprehensive and effective relief efforts.

Congress MP Manish Tewari has given an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha and demanded a discussion on the death penalty to 8 ex-Indian Navy personnel in Qatar.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha, to discuss the air quality crisis in Delhi. The city has been witnessing air pollution issues for several weeks now. The overall AQI at 7 am in Delhi was 349.

BJP MP Zara Keshri Devi Singh and Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil are to present three hundred sixtieth, three hundred sixty-first, three hundred sixty-second and three hundred sixty-third reports (English and Hindi) of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in the Rajya Sabha today.

A report of the Ethics Committee which recommended the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a "cash-for-query" case is listed for tabling in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The report was earlier listed in the agenda of the lower house for December 4 but was not tabled. Various opposition members have insisted that there should be a discussion on the recommendations before a decision is taken on Moitra. Moitra can be expelled only if the House votes in favour of the panel's recommendation.