Mahua Moitra targeted for anti-Adani campaign: Opposition

Opposition leaders support Mahua Moitra; accuse government of targeting her for her campaign against Adani. Congress' Shrinate and Sena's Chaturvedi point out contradictions in Ethics panel's report. RJD's Jha and CPI's Viswam call it an unfortunate and undemocratic decision, respectively.

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra’s expulsion brought the INDIA bloc leaders who have been loggerheads with each other, together. She received support across the board, with the opposition leaders accusing the government of targeting her because of her sustained campaign against industrialist Gautam Adani. 

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav whose recent remarks against the Congress left many wondering about INDIA bloc’s future, was one of the first to speak for Ms. Moitra. Deriding the government, in a post on X, Mr. Yadav, said that they should hire consultants who can work towards expelling the opposition members from the Parliament, leaving the minister enough time to work for public interest. 

Congress social Media incharge Supriya Shrinate said, that the BJP does not tolerate anyone criticising Gautam Adani and more so if the said person is a strong woman. Pointing out the contradictions in the Ethics panel’s report, Ms. Shrinate argued, “In the first line the Ethics Committee says that Ms. Moitra is guilty and that she must be expelled and in the very next line, it says that the central investigating bodies should probe further. If the committee was convinced of her guilt, why do they need further probe?”

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also pointed out a similar loophole. “The one who levelled the allegation is sitting in Dubai and the decision is taken on his written affidavit without actually speaking to him in person. This undermines the natural course of justice,” she said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj K. Jha called it an unfortunate decision. Justice, he said, has certain prerequisites and an operative framework and the least the house could have done was to hear Ms. Moitra. “The message that goes with today’s proceedings is that while those who call Nathuram Godse a patriot, those who abuse minorities and those who are accused of assaulting women wrestlers can continue to sit in Parliament but Mahua Moitra can’t because she attacked a person close to the present dispensation.”

Communist Party of India Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam said that the case demonstrates BJP’s vindictive streak. “They robbed all ethics from the ethics committee. Their purpose was to silence the political criticism. Personal matters are personal. To drag them into political affairs is unethical. The BJP is authoritarian,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mohua Manjhi called the decision undemocratic and added that the panel was not able to produce any evidence to prove the charges against Ms. Moitra.