Central govt wants to gag anyone who talks about coal ‘scam’: Moitra on her 'expulsion'

The Narendra Modi government wants to gag anyone who flags the Adani group’s alleged coal scam, said Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Friday (November 10).

And, Moitra, who is embroiled in the 'cash for query' scandal, termed the Ethics Committee’s recommendation to expel her from Lok Sabha as a 'desperate' move in that direction.

The Ethics Committee on Thursday recommended Moitra's expulsion, after a fortnight of activity that included the deposition of three people over three sittings.

In an interview with PTI Video, Moitra pointed out that the issue is how not to allow a lawmaker to raise questions in the House.

“Adani has a ₹13,000 crore coal scam. In any other country, this would have brought down the government. Mr Modi deep in his heart knows this. So they are desperate to keep this hidden as long as possible."

“Modi and Adani are running the government... Anyone who questions and calls them out is in panic. We are one of the few people who are doing this. So their idea is shut them up, try to put them in jail...,” Moitra claimed.

A factory of liars

The Congress too last month alleged that fresh revelations in the Adani issue by a foreign publication indicate that more than ₹12,000 crore may have been siphoned out of the country in two years. The Krishnanagar MP described the saffron party as “a factory of liars”.

“Every day they put out fake news and the problem is media in this country is all controlled by Modi and Adani. They pick it up, amplify and everyone starts jumping,” she said.

To a question on receiving gifts for asking questions in Lok Sabha, Moitra said there is no evidence of this in the Ethics Committee report.

“In the 500-page report, show me one place, one receipt where one rupee is received... There is no evidence of any cash, any gift,” she said.

Accusing the BJP of breaking all norms of parliamentary democracy, she claimed that whatever the BJP is doing to her is good as people are able to see everything.

Voting in Ethics Committee

The TMC MP said Ethics Committee members do not vote along party lines but that has been done in her case.

“This is a 15-member panel having majority from BJP and its allies. Everyone voted along party line... The BJP allies were given whip. The Shiv Sena was instructed to be there. Preneet Kaur, suspended from Congress, was asked by BJP to be there,” she said.

Asked if TMC has come out in her support the way it should have been, Moitra said, “I heard this so many times before that the party is not with you. I know the party is with me from day one. I am fighting for my right and they (party) are with me.”

The committee, chaired by BJP Lok Sabha member Vinod Kumar Sonkar, met in New Delhi and adopted its 479-page report which, according to sources, recommended Moitra's expulsion.

Sonkar told reporters that six members of the panel supported the adoption of the report and four opposed it.