On 9 Nov, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee adopted a report by its chairman, BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, recommending the expulsion of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha. The report, which was prepared with a 6:4 vote, alleges that Moitra accepted cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani as bribes for asking questions in the Lok Sabha. Moitra has denied the allegation. Congress’s suspended MP from Patiala – former Congress CM and now with BJP, Captain Amarinder Singh’s wife – Preneet Kaur’s vote was the decider. In an interview, Moitra said the report does not mention cash. She alleged that a ‘nexus’ comprising PM Modi and the Adani Group was behind the Lok Sabha ethics committee report. Claiming the Adani Group (See SDW, Vol. 1, Issue 5) and PM Modi were attempting to hide what she called a ‘coal scam’, Moitra said they were in a state of panic as such an allegation would have ‘brought down the government’ in other countries. Moitra is known for her scathing speeches in the Lok Sabha, including praising the Sikhs and the Panjab. Moitra’s imminent sacking with less than six months before the Lok Sabha is dissolved points to the government's desperation and will make her an even larger figure in the public eye. Given Adani's presence in businesses in Bengal, Moitra has challenged him on her home turf Krishnagar. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government arranged an interactive session with industry stakeholders in Mohali, Panjab ahead of the Bengal Global Business Summit, 2023, which is set to take place in Kolkata on 21-22 Nov this year. The purpose of the session was to explore trade and investment opportunities in the state.
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