Know about the functioning of Parliament's Ethics Committee, which summoned Mahua Moitra

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, summoned by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee for questioning in the cash-for-query allegations on November 2, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging that she faced proverbial “Vastraharan” by the panel chairman in the presence of all members of the committee. The TMC leader also alleged “unethical, sordid, demeaning and prejudiced behaviour meted out” to her during the meeting. 

In the letter written to Lok Sabha Chairman Om Birla, Moitra said that chairperson of the Ethics Committee Vinod Sonkar, instead of asking questions related to the cash-for-query allegations, exhibited a preconceived bias by questioning her in a malicious and defamatory way.

Along with the TMC MP, several opposition MPs including Danish Ali of the BSP of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee stormed out of its meeting along with Moitra as they accused its chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar of asking her "indecent personal" questions, a charge he said was motivated to shield the parliamentarian from queries into her "unethical conduct".

Meanwhile, Vinod Sonkar, the chairman of the Parliament Ethics Committee, accused Moitra of using "unparliamentary language".

"Instead of giving answers, she (Mahua Moitra) got angry and used unparliamentary language for the Chairperson, and Committee members. Danish Ali, Girdhari Yadav and other Opposition MPs tried to accuse the committee and walked out...The committee will sit and decide further action," he said.

Know about Parliament's Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee is a vital component among the 36 parliamentary panels in the Lok Sabha, and it operates year-round with a crucial role in preserving the dignity of Parliament and establishing effective checks and balances. What sets this committee apart is its unique responsibility to investigate complaints from ordinary citizens against members of the Lok Sabha, ensuring accountability for lawmakers' conduct. The Rajya Sabha also has a similar panel dedicated to similar functions, but the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha is distinctive in its focus on addressing grievances from the public against members of the lower house of Parliament.

The Ethics Committee's primary responsibility, as per the parliamentary portal, is to monitor and evaluate the moral and ethical conduct of parliamentary members. It also investigates cases related to ethical violations and other forms of misconduct among members.

Within the Lok Sabha, both the Privileges Committee and the Ethics Committee are part of the same branch. While the Privileges Committee deals with complaints brought forward by Members of Parliament (MPs) against officials, the media, or fellow MPs, the Ethics Committee specifically addresses grievances lodged by ordinary citizens against legislators.

Who can complain against MP? 

In India, any citizen can file a complaint against a lawmaker. However, in 2014, a sub-committee proposed that allowing such a provision might result in political rivals submitting complaints against lawmakers on weak or unsubstantiated grounds. As a result, the rule was amended to require that complaints be submitted to the panel through a fellow lawmaker. The rationale behind this modification was to have a fellow MP act as a safeguard, ensuring that non-serious or frivolous allegations wouldn't be easily brought against their colleagues.

In the case of Mahua Moitra, her former friend and Supreme Court lawyer, Jai Anant Dehadrai, filed a complaint, and it was subsequently forwarded to the Lok Sabha Speaker by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey.

Why were the allegations against Moitra sent to the Ethics Committee?

A complaint from advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai was submitted to the Speaker by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on October 19. According to officials, these allegations pertained to matters of morality and ethics and included accusations of corruption against the MP.