CJI to take call on listing of Mahua Moitra's plea, says SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that CJI DY Chandrachud will take a call on the listing of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra’s plea challenging her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. Moitra was expelled from the Parliament last week over the cash-for-query case. Her plea challenging the expulsion was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia. “The CJI will take the call,” Justice Kaul told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who mentioned the plea. On December 8, after a heated debate in the Lok Sabha over the panel report during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to expel the TMC MP from the House for “unethical conduct” which was adopted by a voice vote. Reacting sharply to her expulsion, Moitra had equated the action with hanging by a “kangaroo court” and alleged that a parliamentary panel was being weaponised by the government to force the opposition into submission. On Tuesday, the TMC MP was also served a notice to vacate her official residence. Moitra was also found guilty of taking gifts and illicit gratuity from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to pursue his interests. With inputs from agencies