Lok Sabha Ethics Committee Chairman, BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, has said protocol was followed but “some people wanted to obstruct the probe” into corruption allegations against the Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra.
Shortly after the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee voted (narrowly, 6:4) to recommend expulsion of Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra from Parliament over corruption charges, Bahujan Samaj Party lawmaker Danish Ali flagged what he said were “procedural errors” in the entire process.
The committee’s Chairman, BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, responded swiftly, telling news agency ANI that protocol had been followed but “there were some people who wanted to obstruct the probe”.
Mr Ali, subject to communal slurs by the BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri in Parliament in September, claimed there was little discussion on a 500-page report that lacked details from the hearing’s first day.
“Today we (opposition MPs on the Committee) have raised questions on procedure. We have raised such questions from Day 1. Chairman was 15 minutes late and in 2.5 minutes meeting was over.”
#WATCH | On the Ethics Committee’s report on TMC MP Mahua Moitra adopted, BSP MP Danish Ali says,” After the Committee chairman came in, the meeting concluded in 2.5 minutes. There was no discussion on the report. Is this the way to do things? Proceedings of the first day of… pic.twitter.com/K9cmPCWp9s
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2023
“Such a big report but there was no discussion. And what was not in the report (details from the committee’s first sitting, which recorded statements from Ms Moitra and her accusers) – the two hours in which questions were raised by the opposition,” a clearly upset Mr Ali told ANI.
Mr Ali claimed the committee head, Mr Sonkar, put the report to a quick vote and left.
Asked to reply, Mr Sonkar said: “There were some people who wanted to obstruct the probe… but the report was adopted by a majority. Danish Ali, who tried to obstruct, submitted his dissent note.”
#WATCH | Vinod Sonkar, Chairman of Ethics Committee of Parliament, “The report (on TMC MP Mahua Moitra) was adopted by majority vote and sent to the Lok Sabha Speaker. There were some people who wanted to obsturct the probe but today the report was adopted by a majority. Danish… pic.twitter.com/71BlQ4gKqp
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2023