Winter session: Ethics Panel report on Mahua Moitra to be tabled in LS

As the Parliament convenes on Day 5 of the ongoing Winter Session on Friday, the report of the Ethics Committee on Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in an alleged "cash-for-query" case will be tabled in Lok Sabha.

"Chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar and Aparajita Sarangi to lay on the Table the First Report (Hindi and English versions) of the Committee on Ethics," the agenda released by Lok Sabha read.

The report was mentioned in the agenda of the list of business of Lok Sabha for the opening day of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. However, it could not be taken up.

The Ethics Committee, which investigated the allegations made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, adopted its 500-page report on November 9 recommending Moitra's expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha in view of her "highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct.

The draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month.

As per the sources, the draft report on Mahua Moitra's cash-for-questions case reveals that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times.

"On 47 occasions, her member portal login credentials were accessed from Dubai," sources said citing the draft report of the ethics committee.

The TMC has demanded that the MP Mahua Moitra be given a chance to put forth her defence. TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said, "I spoke with the Speaker, and he said that this committee report along with other reports will be tabled. I said that TMC MP Mahua Moitra should be given a chance to speak..."

Meanwhile, in the legislative business agenda, the Union Communication Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will move the Post Office Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage in the Lower House.

The Bill has already been passed in Rajya Sabha.

"Ashwini Vaishnawto move the Bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to Post Office in India and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, as passed by Rajya Sabha, be taken into consideration," the agenda read.

Also, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharama will introduce a Bill to authorize payment and appropriation of certain further sums from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India for the services of the financial year 2023-2024.

Multiple private member bills have been lined up in the Lower House on Friday.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi will move to introduce a Bill to protect the right to privacy of individuals by prohibiting technologies that use facial recognition and remote biometric surveillance titled Remote Biometric Surveillance (Prohibition) Bill,2021.

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi will move to introduce a Bill to provide for the establishment of a National Climate Change Authority for an efficient mechanism to plan, monitor and achieve the net zero emission targets by the year 2070 and for the effective mitigation and adaptation of Climate Change. The bill has been titled Climate Change (Mitigation and Adaptation) Bill,2022.

BJD MP Pinaki Misra will move to introduce a Bill to prohibit and eradicate bullying in schools. The bill has been titled Prohibition and Eradication of Bullying in Schools Bill, 2023.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha seeking a discussion on Delhi's air quality.

"Delhi's air quality has been consistently ranked among the worst in the world for several years. The situation has worsened significantly this year, with air quality indexes reaching hazardous levels, crossing the 400 mark. The current air quality in Delhi is beyond acceptable," the notice submitted by Gogoi read.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a 3 line whip instructing its members to remain present in the House.

Earlier, a Bill seeking to establish a Central Tribal University in Telangana was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The bill was passed after a reply to the debate by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Lok Sabha has also passed two bills on Jammu and Kashmir. The House saw a marathon debate over two days and passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill,2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill,2023.

The winter session of Parliament began on December 4 and will culminate on December 22.