Review of Parliament proceedings

The Lok Sabha today expelled Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra after adopting its Ethics Committee report holding her guilty of sharing her parliamentary log-in credentials with others and accepting gifts and bribes from a businessman to extend favours. ”   ” After a heated debate during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to expel the TMC member for unethical conduct, which was adopted by a voice vote. ”   ” Opposition members walked out of the House as the Lok Sabha speaker started the voting process on the motion moved by Joshi. ”     ” The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha had recommended Moitra's expulsion from the House over the cash-for-query allegation. ”     ” Some opposition members, including Sudip Bandopadhyay and Kalyan Banerjee both of Trinamool Congress, questioned the report and urged the Speaker to allow her to speak. ”   ” Banerjee claimed that not allowing her to speak will be against the rules of fair play. ”     ” Opposition members also questioned the Ethics Committee's decision to not call Darshan Hiranandani, the businessman who gave an affidavit admitting to giving her gifts and bribes. ”   ” Heena Gavit of BJP said Moitra has disgraced the House with her conduct. ”   ” The Speaker rejected the contention of opposition members that Moitra should be allowed to speak, noting that she had her chance to present her case before the committee. ”   ” Opposition members walked out of the Lok Sabha as the House voted to expel her. ”   ”  The report was tabled in the House around 12 noon and was adjourned amid protests by opposition members who wanted a few days to study the nearly 500-page report. ”     ” As soon as the House met again at 2 pm after an adjournment, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion for discussion on the panel report. ”   ” Speaker Birla said if some strict decisions have to be taken against any member, they have to be taken to uphold the dignity of the House. ”     ” He said it was painful that at times the House has to take up such matters. But, he said, it is because the dignity of the institution has to be maintained at any cost. ”     ” Birla said it was the collective duty of the House to take steps to ensure the prestige of the institution remains unblemished. ”     ” He said the House will discuss the report for half-an-hour but opposition members insisted that more time be given. ”     ” Congress leader in the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded that three to four days be given to the members to go through the nearly 500-page report. ”   ” The Ethics Committee Chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar submitted its report in the House soon re-convened at noon after an adjournment during the Question Hour. ”     ” Trinamool Congress members and some from the Congress Party trooped into Well of the House raising slogans demanding a copy of the report. ”   ” Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee demanded a discussion on the report before its recommendations are put to vote, which would lead to the expulsion of Moitra from the House. ”     ” Amid uproar, Rajendra Agrawal of BJP who was in the chair, adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. ”     ” Businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who allegedly paid Moitra to raise questions in Parliament about the Adani Group, had claimed in a signed affidavit that Moitra targeted industrialist Gautam Adani to malign and embarrass Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ”     ” At a meeting on 9th of November, the Committee adopted its report recommending Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha over the cash-for-query allegation. ”   ” Six members of the panel, including suspended Congress member Preneet Kaur, voted in favour of the report. Four members of the panel belonging to opposition parties submitted dissent notes. ”   ” The opposition members termed the report a fixed match and said the complaint filed by BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, which the panel reviewed, was not supported by a shred of evidence. ”   ” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has accepted the resignation of BJP MPs Baba Balaknath and Renuka Singh. ”     ” Balaknath, who was MP from Rajasthan's Alwar, resigned after winning the assembly election from Tijara in the state. ”     ” Singh, who was MP of Surguja in Chhattisgarh, won the assembly election from Bharatpur-Sonhat constituency. ”     ” Altogether, 12 Members of the ruling BJP have resigned after winning assembly polls. This includes 11 MPs from the Lok Sabha and one from the Rajya Sabha. ”   ” Other Members who have resigned are Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel, Rakesh Singh, Uday Pratap Singh, and Riti Pathak from Madhya Pradesh; Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Diya Kumari, Kirori Lal Meena Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan; and Arun Sao and Gomti Sai from Chhattisgarh. ”   ” Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav said he does not upload questions on the Lok Sabha's website himself as he does not know how to operate a computer, as the Lower House decided to expel Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra over the allegation that she shared her log-in credentials with outsiders and took a bribe for asking questions. ”   ” Yadav, who is a member of the Lok Sabha's ethics panel and was among the opposition MPs who staged a walkout from the committee meeting alleging that Moitra was asked personal and irrelevant questions, took a jibe at the ruling dispensation and questioned why BJP MP Nishikant Dubey was called for questioning while businessman Darshan Hiranandani was not. ”   ” He said this while participating in a debate on the report of the ethics committee in the Lok Sabha. The report was adopted and the House voted for expelling Mahua Moitra after the opposition members walked out. ”     ” He said he does not upload his questions himself and his personal secretary does it. ”   ” He said he does not know how to operate a computer and does not even remember my own password. ”   ” Speaker Om Birla objected to Yadav's comments. ”     ” Birla said this is against norms and requested all members to prepare their own questions. ”     ” The Speaker said he can take action against members who do not prepare their own questions. ”   ” Yadav said ethics panel chairperson Vinod Sonkar had said Hiranandani, who made the allegation through an affidavit that he paid a bribe to Moitra, would be called for examination but was not called eventually. ”   ” The Rajya Sabha would henceforth function from 2 PM on Fridays for the post-lunch period instead of 2.30 PM earlier in line with the Lok Sabha schedule. ”   ” Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar made the announcement to this effect soon after the laying of papers. ”   ” Tiruchi Siva of the DMK pointed out the change of time printed on the business schedule of the day and wanted to know the reason. ”     ” The convention is that on Friday the afternoon session convenes at 2.30 pm, he said, adding that the revised list of business shows it as 2 pm. ”     ” The chairman said the time was changed by him during the last session itself as the afternoon session in the Lok Sabha starts at 2 pm. ”     ” He said this is not being done for today. This has already been done earlier, he said, adding that the reason was given as the Lok Sabha sits at 2 pm. ”     ” Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha being integral parts of Parliament need to adhere to the same time to the extent possible. Therefore it was 2 pm on an earlier occasion as directed by me. So this is not a beginning today, the Chairman said. ”     ” Consciously, after due deliberation, I had effected it, indicated to the House and this was already in place in the last session, he said. ”     ” Earlier, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw demanded that the Chairman take action against members who make false allegations and sensationalise issues without basis in the garb of asking questions. ”     ” The two ruling party members were reacting to what they called false allegations by opposition members Saket Gokhale of the Trinamool Congress and John Brittas of the CPI (M) on two different matters raised during the question hour. ”     ” Gokhale sought to know the reasons for many states rejecting dal pulses and other grains supplied under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). ”     ” Brittas said that the elderly passengers were facing difficulties due to the "discontinuation" of concessions for senior citizens by the railways. He also said "there is a premium tatkal which has been brought in to fleece the passengers" and that sleeper and general compartments have been replaced with air-conditioned coaches, and asked if the railway minister "will review his stand?" ”     ” Vaishnaw said, "The honourable member could not ask a question. He has made some comments, which are very misleading comments and I fully, fully refute all the points that he has made." ”     ” Goyal said, "This is the second instance in one day that a member shoots and scoots. First I had the case of dal and now we have the case pointing to Vaishnaw. ”     ” He said he wanted a ruling on what will happen to a member who makes false allegations or just sensationalises an issue to draw your attention to something which is not factual. If found, what action will be taken against such a member?" ”   ” Vaishnaw also said this is a matter of great importance. If any honourable member in the garb of asking the question is plainly making allegations which are baseless, absolutely false, have absolutely no direction then what should be the treatment, what should be the punishment to that particular honourable member, he said. ”     ” In response, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Let me take the House into confidence. I will look into all aspects." ”     ” Earlier during the question hour, Gokhale said a lot of states, especially during COVID-19 and even after that, have rejected dal and other grains supplied under the PMGKAY. ”   ” Later during private member's business, a bill seeking to repeal the Waqf Act, 1995, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha after a division of votes amid strong protests by opposition parties. ”   ” The Waqf Repeal Bill 2022 was moved for introduction by BJP member Harnath Singh Yadav. This was vehemently opposed by members of several parties, including the Congress, TMC, DMK, CPI, CPI (M), and RJD and led to a division of votes. ”   ” The introduction of the bill was approved after 53 members, mostly from the treasury benches, voted in favour while 32 opposed the move. ”   ” Yadav later introduced the bill that will be taken up for discussion later. ”   ” During discussion on another Bill on the powers of Governors, CPI (M) MP V Sivadasan said there is a need to amend the Constitution to empower the states to appoint governors in order to respect the "will of the people". ”     ” Sivadasan, whose party's government in Kerala is locked in a bitter war of words with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, asked the members to support the passage of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2022 (amendment of Article 153 and substitution of articles 155 and 156) to end "colonial-era indulgences". ”   ” The CPI (M) leader introduced the bill in the House on December 9 last year. ”     ” Noting that it is a very important bill, he said it is in the public interest that the governor's position needs to be filled not by the president, under the advice of the Union government. ”     ” The governor should be appointed by the state itself, the will of the people has to be respected, he said. ”     ” The Left leader noted that federalism is part of the basic structure of the nation as well as the Constitution. ”     ” Countering Sivadasan, Anil Agarwal of the BJP said the governor's role is very important in a democratic set up. ”     ” He urged Sivadasan to withdraw the Bill. ”     ” Agarwal also asked the members not to support the bill in the Upper House. ”     ” Opposing the Bill, Biplab Kumar Deb of BJP said this is a step against the federal system, that is why he is opposing it. ”   ”   ” I believe that the Governor is very important, without it, the chain of communication between State and centre will break down, he said. ”     ” L Hanumanthaiah of Congress expressed the hope that the Assembly be unanimous in passing this Bill, so that the friction between States and Centre would abate. ”     ” Governor is the constitutional head bound by the advice of the council of ministers in the State, acting as a link between State and Centre, he said. ”   ” The Governor is envisaged as an apolitical head, acting under the advice of the council of ministers, with some discretionary powers, he highlights, adding that there are no provisions as to how the Governor and State should engage publicly when there is a difference of opinion. ”   ” He pointed out that many times for years together, Bills have been pending with Governors, which is the main issue today. He said this is the perfect time to revisit the constitutional morality described by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. ”   ” Earlier, around 70 private members bills were introduced in the Rajya Sabha. ”     ” Fauzia Khan (NCP) introduced a Private Member’s Bill to tackle sexual harassment of women in the workplace. She also introduced a Bill to further amend the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. ”   ” Biplab Kumar Deb of BJP introduced a bill to make teaching of Lifestyle for Environment compulsory in schools. The bill seeks to teach this subject to ‘enable students towards becoming Pro-Planet People in the 21st century.' ”     ” Ram Nath Thakur of JD (U) introduced a bill to prohibit crimes in the name of honour. Thakur introduced the Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of Honour Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha. ”   ” The Bill seeks to prohibit crimes in the name of honour, ‘assemblies and other conduct interfering with the freedom of marriage and association and to provide justice, compensation and rehabilitation in crimes committed in the name of honour.' ”     ” The objective of the bill is to protect individual liberty and prevent victimization. ”     ” Sujeet Kumar of Biju Janata Dal introduced bills to amend the Antiquities Act and the Indian Penal Code, 1860. ”   ” V Sivadasan introduced a Private Member’s Bill for internet access, access to public spaces and early childhood care. The Bill seeks to include the Right to Free Internet Bill, 2023, to provide for free internet access to all the citizens in the country. The second bill is to provide free access to public space to all citizens the Right to Public Space Bill, 2023 and the third is to The Right to Early Childhood Care Bill, 2023. ”

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Review of Parliament proceedings