Parliament’s Winter Session: INDIA bloc to raise ‘leak’ of ethics panel report against Mahua Moitra 

The leaders of the opposition parties decided in the all-party meeting of the INDIA bloc, to raise the matter concerning the alleged leak of the ethics committee report to the media before it was tabled in parliament, ANI quoted sources as saying. The meeting, which included parliamentary party leaders of the INDIA bloc happened at the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, before the commencement of the Winter Session of Parliament on Monday. The leaders within the bloc deliberated their strategy during the parliamentary session.

Leaders of various opposition parties met at INC President and LoP Rajya Sabha Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji’s office in New Delhi.

We will continue to raise issues of public importance and hold the BJP accountable in Parliament and outside. pic.twitter.com/hhuB7kZgMk

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) December 4, 2023

“We have called a meeting of all parties. We are sitting for that meeting to decide what is to be done today,” Kharge said before arriving at the meeting. Earlier, TMC MP Mahua Moitra alleged a breach of Parliamentary rules after a media report cited Ethics Committee findings.“A very serious breach of rule 275 (2) contained in the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Lok Sabha where the draft report by the Committee on Ethics on the subject of Unethical Conduct by Mahua Moitra, MP, was accessed by a media channel on November 8, a day before it is to be placed before the Committee,” the TMC MP had alleged in a post on X on November 9. The winter session of Parliament is expected to be stormy, with the Ethics Committee that probed the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra slated to lay its report. The opposition parties are also firm on opposing some bills on the agenda of the government, including the bill to regulate the appointments of the Chief Election Commission and Other Election Commissioners. The government held an all-party meeting on Saturday to ensure smooth functioning of the session, which will have 15 sittings between December 4 and December 22. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting of floor leaders of political parties in both houses of Parliament. The government has 21 bills on its agenda for the session, including the bills to replace the IPC, the Indian Evidence Act and the CrPC. Congress members said that they would raise issues concerning the people and demanded a discussion on the Ethics Committee report on allegations faced by TMC MP Mahua Moitra. The winter session will conclude on December 22. With inputs from ANI.