New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to the Lok Sabha secretary general over Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra’s petition against her expulsion from the House last month. The court has asked the official to file a reply within three weeks.
The court, however, refused to allow her to participate in Lok Sabha’s proceedings.
Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the ethics panel found her guilty of sharing her parliamentary login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for bribes.
The former MP had said she shared her login credentials with the businessman to have his staff type out her queries on the Lok Sabha portal. She had denied any exchange of bribes between the two.
Days after being ousted from the House, Moitra had moved the Supreme Court against her expulsion.
Also read: Mahua Moitra moves Supreme Court against expulsion from Lok Sabha: Report
In her first reaction to her expulsion last month, Mahua Moitra had said the ethics panel didn’t have the power to expel her and there wasn’t a shred of evidence of her accepting cash from Hiranandani. She had also pointed out that she wasn’t allowed by the panel to cross-examine Hiranandani and her former partner Jai Anant Dehadrai, who is the original complainant.
Darshan Hiranandani had written an affidavit to the panel claiming Moitra has accepted gifts from him in return for allowing him to post questions on the Adani Group in the Parliament.
Also read: Mahua Moitra expelled from Lok Sabha: What next for TMC leader? Options before her
After her expulsion, Moitra had vowed to keep fighting the BJP.
“Ramesh Biduri stands up in Parliament and makes objectionable remarks against Danish Ali, one of the few Muslim MPs…. the BJP has sent 303 MPs but hasn’t sent one Muslim MP to Parliament. No action has been taken against Biduri for abusing Ali…You hate minorities, you hate women, you hate nari shakti,” she had said.
“I am 49 years old, I will fight you for the next 30 years, inside parliament, outside parliament, in the gutter, on the street,” she added.
Meanwhile, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai has accused Moitra of conducting surveillance on him. He said he has filed a complaint with the CBI.
“I have given my complaint to CBI. This is a very serious issue and there are people from Odisha who are financing and supporting those against whom I have filed a complaint (to CBI). This fight is a bit dangerous but I will not back down,” he told ANI today.
