'It will help her before 2024 polls': Mamata Banerjee on expulsion recommendation against Mahua Moitra

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. File Pic

Breaking her silence on the "cash-for-query" allegation against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, party chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that plans were in the works to expel her from Parliament but any such action would help the lawmaker from Krishnanagar ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, reported news agency PTI.

Last week, Moitra, who is facing recommendations for expulsion from Lok Sabha, was tasked with strengthening the party's organisation in Nadia district, in a clear message of support from the TMC.

"Now, they are planning to expel Mahua (from Parliament). She will become more popular as a result. Whatever she used to say inside (Parliament), she will now say those things outside. Would anyone do something like this three months before the elections if he is not stupid?" Mamata Banerjee said, addressing a special session of the party at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, reported PTI.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had forwarded a complaint against the Trinamool Congress member by lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing her of taking bribes for asking questions in the House at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported PTI.

The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, submitted its report on the allegation against Moitra to the speaker's office earlier this month, reported PTI.

The report, adopted by a majority in the Committee, recommended Moitra's expulsion from the House, accusing her of accepting "illegal gratifications" to raise questions in Parliament at the behest of the businessman, reported PTI.

Moitra, in response, dismissed the decision as a "prefixed match by a kangaroo court" and deemed it a "death of parliamentary democracy", reported PTI.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the central agencies that are at present targeting opposition leaders will be after the BJP following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She asserted that the government at the Centre will last for three more months, reported PTI.

Addressing TMC workers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, she said that after the arrest of her party's leaders in different cases, the expulsion of MP Mahua Moitra was being planned but it would eventually help her before the elections, reported PTI.

"Central agencies targetting opposition leaders at present will go after the BJP following the 2024 elections," she told party workers, reported PTI.

"This government at the Centre is there for three more months," she said, reported PTI.

Banerjee also claimed that the BJP-led government wants to do away with reservations and maintained that she will oppose it, reported PTI.

"BJP is also against the reservation for minorities, but we will bring them under the system through OBC quota," she added.

(With inputs from PTI)