Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that TMC MP Mahua Moitra should be given a chance to speak in her defence.
“We are looking at a situation where if they are going to bring this motion to endorse the recommendation of the Ethics Committee to expel a member, they have to give the member a chance to speak in her defence, and they have to permit a discussion where others can raise serious issues,” Tharoor told news agency ANI outside parliament.
Tharoor further said that the government’s decision to not table the report was a good sign.
“That the item of filing the Ethics Committee report was skipped (on Monday) when they laid papers on the table… I hope that is a good sign that the government is rethinking this rather extreme step,” he said.
#WATCH | Winter Session of Parliament| Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “…The item of filing of the Ethics Committee report was skipped when they laid papers on the table… We have a number of very fundamental questions about this… In any procedure involving expulsion, there… pic.twitter.com/C7MPoNh7XY
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2023
Meanwhile support for Moitra came from another Congress leader, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said at media briefing, “…our position is very clear, this is a political conspiracy to harass and target Mahua Moitra, we will oppose any measure that govt will bring to suspend or expel her…we want discussion on Ethics Committee report…we want Mahua Moitra to have an opportunity to respond to the charges that have been hurled at her by various MPs through the media”
