India parliament expels firebrand MP in bribery row
India's parliament has expelled an opposition lawmaker who was accused of taking bribes in exchange for asking questions.
Mahua Moitra, who has denied the allegations, said she was expelled "without proof". She has the option to challenge the decision in court.
Friday's expulsion followed a resolution passed by lawmakers in the Lok Sabha lower house of parliament - after a voice vote.
Earlier in the day, an ethics panel report that recommended Ms Moitra's expulsion was tabled in the house. Opposition lawmakers had asked for more time to study the almost-500-page report before debating it, but the speaker did not agree to this.
Ms Moitra is from the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal state. She is known to be a fierce critic of PM Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has a majority in the Lok Sabha.
Trinamool Congress leaders called the report an "eyewash" and repeated their stance that the bribery allegation was unfounded. They and other opposition leaders have alleged that Ms Moitra was targeted for her criticism of Mr Modi's party.
The controversy began in October when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey filed a complaint against Ms Moitra, alleging that she had asked several questions targeting the Adani Group - a conglomerate owned by one of Asia's richest men, Gautam Adani in exchange for gifts and cash from a businessman called Darshan Hiranandani.
Mr Adani is perceived as being close to Mr Modi and has long faced allegations from opposition politicians that he has benefited from his political ties, which the businessman and the BJP deny.
Mr Dubey claimed that "until quite recently", 50 of 61 questions Ms Moitra asked in the Lok Sabha were focused on the Adani Group and accused her of accepting bribes adding up to 20m rupees from Mr Hiranandani.