Parliament panel set to recommend Mallya's expulsion

The Ethics Committee of Parliament is set to recommend the expulsion of Independent MP and liquor baron Vijay Mallya even after his tendering resignation from the membership of the Upper House yesterday.

Sources said the panel was unanimous in its decision that Mallya, facing a case of loan default of over Rs 9,400 crore, should no longer remain a member of the Upper House and found his reply to its notice unsatisfactory.

The sources said the panel will submit its report before the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.

A motion has to be introduced in the House and approved by it for termination of the membership of any MP.

After the meeting, panel Chairman Karan Singh, however, declined to divulge the details saying that being the head of the committee it will not be appropriate for him to announce a decision taken in its meeting.

He evaded a direct reply on whether the committee can still recommend the expulsion of Mallya.

Mallya had yesterday faxed his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari a day before Ethics Committee had to take a decision on recommending his expulsion, an issue, which was unanimously in the panel’s last meeting on April 25.

Pressed further, Singh, however, said the decision that was taken in the meeting even today was unanimous.

Asked whether the panel has any room left now to take up the matter when Mallya has already resigned, Singh said, “Of course there is room. He is still a member of the House until it (the resignation) is accepted.”

He also said the committee will submit its recommendation to the Upper House tomorrow.

“Ethics Committee only recommends. The report (of the panel) is property of the House,” he said when repeatedly asked whether the committee has any other option left other than recommending expulsion of Mallya since it had in its last meeting decided to do so.

Ethics Panel of the Upper House, which had taken up the matter, had unanimously decided in its April 25 meeting that Mallya should no longer remain a member of the House and was planning to recommend his expulsion in today’s meeting.

At the same time, the panel had decided to give Mallya one week time to explain his conduct.

The panel was not satisfied with Mallya’s explanation on the loan default.