New Delhi: Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) leader, Mahua Moitra, has been issued a fresh notice by the Directorate of Estate under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, urging her to vacate her government-allotted accommodation in New Delhi. This marks the third notice served to Moitra and closely follows her expulsion from the Lok Sabha in connection with the 'cash-for-query' case.
"The Applicant vide Letter dated 08.01.2024 requested to initiate eviction proceedings against you under the provisions of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971," reads the notice from the Office of the Estate Officer and Assistant Director of Estates (Litigation), Directorate of Estates.
The Ministry of Urban Development had previously served a second notice to Mahua on January 11 this year. In response, the TMC leader sought relief from the Delhi High Court, aiming to quash the eviction notice issued by the Directorate of Estate.
Her plea argued that the notice issued on December 11, 2023, directed her to vacate the house by January 7, 2024. The plea requested permission to retain possession of her government accommodation until the results of the 2024 General Elections. It emphasized the essential role of the accommodation in facilitating her engagement with party members, parliamentarians, politicians, constituents, stakeholders, and dignitaries, particularly in the lead-up to a general election.
Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha on December 8, 2023, followed a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee regarding the 'cash-for-query' case. Moitra, not given the opportunity to speak during the House discussion, criticized the Ethics Committee, claiming that she had been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that 'does not exist.'
The Ethics Committee's report, adopted by a 6:4 majority, recommended Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha and called for an intense, time-bound inquiry by the central government into the 'Unethical Conduct' of the TMC MP. The report revealed Moitra's multiple visits to the UAE from 2019 to 2023, during which her login was accessed several times.
—Input from Agencies