BJP will be left with few MPs if same move applied: SP chief on Moitra row

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's statement came hours after Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the House adopted the report of its Ethics Committee

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said if the method used to expel opposition MPs from the Parliament is applied on the ruling party, it will leave them with only a handful MPs in both Houses.

Yadav's statement came hours after Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the House adopted the report of its Ethics Committee that held her guilty of accepting gifts and illegal gratification from a businessman to further his interest.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief took to X to express his resentment on Moitra's expulsion.

In a post in Hindi, Yadav advised the BJP to hire a "salaahkar" or consultant for activities that involved taking away membership of Opposition leaders so that the ministers, MPs and MLAs of the ruling party could spend their time for public welfare instead of activities pertaining to conspiracies.

He added that the basis on which the membership of the Opposition MPs is being taken away, if the same is implemented on the ruling party, they would be left with only one or two MPs in both Houses.

"Some people prove to be more lethal ('ghatak') for the ruling party on the streets than in the House," he said.

After a heated debate over the panel report during which Moitra was not allowed to speak, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday moved a motion to expel the Trinamool member for "unethical conduct", which was adopted by a voice vote.

Mahua Moitra represented Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha.