Parliament Winter Session highlights: Both Houses adjourned, will resume on December 11

The Lok Sabha was adjourned to reconvene on December 11 at 11am.

Trinamool Congress  MP Mahua Moitra  has been expelled from the Lok Sabha in "cash for query" matter. The Ethics Committee report was tabled in the House today.

As Opposition MPs demanded that  Moitra be allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla explained  that why it cannot be done.  "I have a copy of the traditions that were followed earlier. Former Speakers Somnath Chatterjee and Pranab Mukherjee were here earlier...The rules and traditions that they gave are considered our rules. Somnath Chatterjee had said that the Members against whom there are accusations are given ample time to speak before the Committee...This House has the tradition that the traditions followed by the previous Speakers are always further followed by the next Speakers..." he said.

Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, requested  Birla to allow MPs sufficient time to delve into the contents of the report.

BJP MP Heena V Gavit said, "Due to the actions of one individual, Indian MPs are now perceived negatively globally. It is important that we adhere to parliamentary procedures."

JDU MP Giridhari Yadav, who is also a member of the Ethics panel, said Mahua Moitra never shared her Parliament login password with anyone.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed strong reservations about the process, calling it "incredibly inadequate."  He highlighted the speed at which the report was allegedly adopted, claiming it took a mere two and a half minutes, according to information from one of the committee members.

#WATCH | TMC MP Mahua Moitra says, "Maa Durga aa gayi hai, ab dekhenge...Jab naash manuj par chhata hai, pehle vivek mar jaata hai. They have started 'vastraharan' and now you will watch 'Mahabharat ka rann'."

Ethics Panel report on her to be tabled in Lok Sabha today. pic.twitter.com/r28o2ABVbB

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2023

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she strongly condemned the action.  "Mahua is a victim of the circumstances. I strongly condemn this and the party completely stands with Mahua," Mamata said. She further congratulated the INDIA alliance for being united, adding that the bloc would fight back against the expulsion.

Proceedings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha 

• Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Friday gave an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha seeking discussion on the current condition of Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu reeling under the effect of Cyclone Michaung.

•Trinamool's Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandopadhyay has written a letter saying the ethics committee report has just been tabled. Members should get 48 hours time to study the report before taking any resolution on the basis of the report.

• Rajya Sabha takes up private members’ bill.

• New Parliament has new rules where government doesn’t want people to opposition members to raise questions. Her expulsion has been undemocratic and unconstitutional. The Ethics Committee didn’t call the people it was supposed to question in cash-for-query case, said  Congress MP Manickam Tagore.

•Reacting to the development, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti said, “Its a sad day for the world’s largest democracy when a brilliant feisty Parliamentarian like Mahua Moitra is harassed to no ends, slandered & eventually expelled from Parliament in an utter disregard for the due process. This is the price she paid for speaking truth to power.”

• The decision was taken in haste without holding any discussion. Mahua Moitra was not allowed to present her side. Even the questions she was asked by the Ethics Committee were also not in a good taste,” says JMM MP Mahua Maji.

•This government's behaviour is - You show me the person & I will show you the rule. Different rules are set for different people," said Congress MP Rajni Patil.

JDU MP Giridhari Yadav said he does not upload questions on the Lok Sabha's website himself as he does not know how to operate a computer, as the Lower House decided to expel Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Mahua Moitra over the allegation that she shared her log-in credentials with outsiders and took a bribe for asking questions.