New Delhi, 08 December 2023

The expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha on Friday clearly points towards the fact that Modi-Shah regime will go to any extent to delegitimise any questioning of Adani’s monumental corporate fraud or of the Modi-Adani nexus being driven by corporate rivalry and corrupt political means.

The whole process – from allegations to inquiry by the Ethics committee to expulsion is marred with absolute disregard for parliamentary norms and course of natural justice. The complaint against Mahua Moitra, who is known for her powerful speeches in Parliament exposing the Modi-Adani nexus, is based on a flimsy complaint by BJP MP from Godda, Jharkhand, Nishikant Dubey, a habitual offender when it comes to using derogatory and misogynistic language in Parliament. His complaint  was promptly referred to the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee by the  Speaker.

A dubious ‘affidavit’ signed by Darshan Hiranandani, the Dubai-based CEO of the Hiranandani group, confessing to the alleged favours he has given to the TMC MP who in turn apparently gave access to her Lok Sabha login id and password for submission of questions, was used against Mahua Moitra. The affidavit followed an initial denial issued by the Hiranandani group in response to Dubey’s allegations.

The Ethics Committee, buying the allegation at face value, refused to cross examine Darshan Hiranandani in-person or verify the facts in the affidavit. Furthermore, Mahua Moitra was refused a fair hearing by the committee, which witnessed BJP members harassment and character assassination of the TMC MP.

The committee's approval of the draft report without any deliberation clearly points towards the fact that BJP had already set the ‘mandate’ of the Ethics Committee to find Mahua Moitra guilty and move towards her expulsion to protect Modi and his corporate cronies.

Mahua’s expulsion adds to the long list of the BJP’s vendettas against opposition members of the parliament- Rahul Gandhi’s dismissal from the Lok Sabha, Sanjay Singh’s arrest and the communal targeting of Danish Ali inside the parliament. While the BJP wasted no time in ensuring the expulsion of Mahua Moitra, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri who gave hate-filled and communal threats to BSP MP Danish Ali inside the Parliament walks free without any repercussions.

CPIML strongly condemns the expulsion of Mahua Moitra and demands her immediate reinstatement as Lok Sabha MP.

- CPIML CENTRAL COMMITTEE