Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav on Friday 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.
Yadav, who is a member of the Lok Sabha's ethics panel and was among the opposition MPs who staged a walkout from the committee meeting alleging that Moitra was asked personal and irrelevant questions, took a jibe at the ruling dispensation and questioned why BJP MP Nishikant Dubey was called for questioning while businessman Darshan Hiranandani was not.
He said this while participating in a debate on the report of the ethics committee in the Lok Sabha. The report was adopted and the House voted for expelling Moitra after the opposition members walked out.
"I do not upload my questions myself.... My PS (personal secretary) does it. I do not know how to operate a computer ... so my staff does that for me. I do not even remember my own password," the JD(U) leader said.
"This time I did not give any questions out of fear.... We are being intimidated," he added.
Speaker Om Birla objected to Yadav's comments.
"I request all members to prepare their own questions. This is against the norms. I can take action against members who do not prepare their own questions," Birla said.
Yadav said ethics panel chairperson Vinod Sonkar had said Hiranandani, who made the allegation through an affidavit that he paid a bribe to Moitra, would be called for examination but was not called eventually.
"It is the misfortune of this House that honourable Nishikantji was called for cross (examination), but Darshan Hiranandani was not called. If an affidavit can be trusted, why mistrust Nishikantji? "The ethics panel chairman had said Hiranandani would be called.... We call MPs but do not call capitalists who make allegations," he said.
The Lok Sabha expelled Moitra on Friday after holding her guilty of sharing her website log-in credentials with others and accepting gifts from a businessman to extend favours.
After a heated debate during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to expel the TMC leader for "unethical conduct", which was adopted by a voice vote.
The opposition members walked out of the House as the speaker started the voting process on the motion moved by Joshi.
The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha had recommended Moitra's expulsion from the House over the "cash-for-query" allegation.