TMC seeks expulsion of BJP MP Pratap Simha, draws parallel with Mahua's case

PTI, New Delhi, Dec 13, 2023 :  The TMC on Wednesday sought the expulsion of BJP MP Pratap Simha for facilitating the entry of at least one person who jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber and opened smoke canisters, drawing a parallel with party leader Mahua Moitra’s ouster from the House.

Several opposition MPs demanded an explanation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the incident, which took place on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, triggered panic among the members.

Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha last week 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.

MP Pratap Simha

“Our MP Mahua Moitra was unjustly expelled for allegedly breaching national security by sharing her login credentials. Today, BJP Karnataka MP Pratap Simha put the security of the entire Parliament at risk by issuing a visitor’s pass to the intruders,” the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said in a post on X.

“What is stopping him from getting expelled? Why should a similar treatment not be meted out to him? What gives him the right to continue as a Parliamentarian after jeopardising the safety of fellow MPs?” the TMC said.

Echoing the sentiment, TMC leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay demanded that the concerned MP be expelled.

“Mahua Moitra was expelled over a password, it was linked with national security. The MP who gave passes to these people, we asked the Speaker to name the MP. Is this not a question of security? If the smoke was poisonous, many MPs could have been hurt. We want to see what happens,” he said after a meeting was held by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over the incident.

Party MP Kalyan Banerjee said under the new laws brought by the government to replace the Indian Penal Code, CrPC, and the Evidence Act, the security breach would be defined as a terrorist activity.

“The new laws that were brought have an extensive definition of terrorist activities. According to that, this is a terrorist activity, the person who gave the pass is involved in terrorist activities… Just because he is a BJP MP, will he be saved?” he said.

“On the Mahua Moitra issue, they had said sharing passwords is compromising national security,” Banerjee said.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen slammed the BJP’s “double standards” while demanding action against Simha.

“Where is the Ethics Committee now, we wonder. Our AITC MP Mahua Moitra shared her login and password, and she was expelled from the house, saying it was a security breach. BJP MP Pratap Simha from Mysore, who has issued the entry pass, is it not a security breach?” said Sen.

“Double standards are an age-old problem of the BJP. We demand immediate action on this security breach,” she added.