Even as the Ethics Committee on Friday tabled its report in Lok Sabha in connection with the alleged ‘cash-for-query’ charges against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Leader of Congress in the House, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, wrote to Speaker Om Birla asking him to fix a day and time at least three days from now for taking up the discussion on the voluminous report.
The report runs into 104 pages and has several annexures, Chowdhury said in his letter to Birla.
He said, “Following the tabling of the Ethics Committee Report in the House this forenoon, it is understood that the motion for discussing the report is likely to be taken up at 2.00 p.m. today when the House reassembles.”
He added that it is understood that the Ethics Committee report runs into 104 pages, with a number of annexures and other documents attached.
“You will appreciate Sir, that in order for Members to effectively take part in the discussion on the report, they need adequate time to go through the contents of the report,” the Congress leader said.
He added, “Considering the seriousness and importance of the matter, I would request that Members may be given sufficient time of three to four days at least to study the report and prepare themselves for the discussion in the House.”
“I would therefore request you to fix a day and time at least three days from now, for taking up the discussion on the Ethics Committee Report,” Chowdhury demanded.
The letter of the Congress leader came after the Ethics Committee tabled the report in Lok Sabha on Friday afternoon. The Committee has recommended for expulsion of Moitra as an MP and also asked for intense, legal and institutional inquiry by the government against her.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had referred the complaint of BJP MP Nishiknat Dubey against Moitra to the Ethics Committee. On November 9, the Parliament’s Ethics Committee adopted the draft report against Moitra and submitted it to the Lok Sabha Speaker with the panel’s recommendations.
On November 2, Moitra along with the Opposition MPs of the Committee stormed out of the meeting accusing the committee’s chairperson Vinod Sonkar of asking her personal and unethical questions.
The ethics committee is probing BJP MP Dubey’s allegations that Moitra accepted cash and favours for asking questions in Lok Sabha on businessman Gautam Adani at the behest of businessman Hiranandani.
On October 26, Dubey and advocate Dehadrai gave “oral evidence” to the panel against Moitra.