'Cash-for-query': Mahua Moitra moves Supreme Court against expulsion from Lok Sabha

Days after she was ousted from the Lok Sabha over ‘cash-for-query’ allegations, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra on Monday moved the Supreme Court against her expulsion. In a plea, Moitra said the decision to expel her was “illegal”. Moitra was ousted from the Parliament last week after the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha found her guilty of jeopardising national security by sharing her parliamentary portal’s login credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Moitra was also found guilty of taking gifts and illicit gratuity from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in order to pursue his interests. The TMC leader, however, had refuted the claims. Moitra claimed that when the ethics panel’s findings were discussed in the House, she was not given the opportunity to explain herself. She also said she was not able to cross-examine her estranged partner and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who levelled the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations against her. With inputs from agencies