Will be back in Lok Sabha with bigger mandate: Mahua Moitra on possible expulsion

Dismissing the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee's expulsion recommendation in the "cash-for-query" controversy, senior TMC leader Mahua Moitra termed it as a "prefixed match by a kangaroo court" and emphasised that it signifies "death of parliamentary democracy" in India.

The committee, chaired by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, adopted its report suggesting Moitra's expulsion on Thursday.

In a telephonic interview with PTI, she said, "Even if they expel me in this Lok Sabha, I will be back in the next Lok Sabha with a bigger mandate." "This is a pre-fixed match by a kangaroo court, which is of no surprise or consequence. But the larger message for the country is that for India, it is death of parliamentary democracy," Moitra said.

She clarified that the recommendation is yet to be finalised and said it should be taken up during the Winter Session of Parliament.

She asserted that the decision does not deter her from continuing to question and expose the "BJP-Adani nexus" with greater vigour.

"First of all, this is just a recommendation, nothing has happened as of now. Let them take it up in the Winter Session of Parliament. This actually does nothing to me. This can’t shut me up," she said.

Disputing the legitimacy of the Ethics Committee's mandate to recommend expulsion, Moitra criticised the saffron camp, stating, "I am happy that the BJP has shown to the entire country the mockery they have made of parliamentary democracy." Regarding her future course of action, Moitra remarked, "First, let them expel me," indicating that she would announce her next steps later.