Mahua Moitra, the leader of the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), has petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge her recent removal from the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha voted a motion to eject Moitra from the parliament on December 8 (Friday), following an Ethics Committee recommendation that she be disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP).
The Ethics Committee's recommendation and findings came in response to a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, who claimed Moitra had accepted money in exchange for asking certain questions in parliament.
Moitra has been accused of asking multiple questions about the Adani group of firms in parliament at the request of a rival businessman, Darshan Hiranandani. Moitra was also accused of disclosing her Lok Sabha login information to Hiranandani.
Earlier, the TMC leader was found guilty by the Ethics Committee, which determined that Moitra's mistakes warranted "severe punishment”.
"As a result, the Committee recommends that Mahua Moitra, MP be dismissed from the 17th Lok Sabha. In light of Mahua Moitra's highly objectionable, unethical, heinous, and criminal conduct, the Committee recommends that the Government of India conduct an intensive, legal, institutional inquiry in a timely manner," the Committee reportedly stated.
