AMN /

speakerLok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today referred the issue of sting operation by a news portal allegedly showing Trinamool Congress leaders, including some MPs, accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company to Ethics Committee of the House.

The Committee is headed by senior BJP leader L K Advani. Yesterday, Parliamentary Affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in the Lok Sabha that truth must prevail in such matters since it was related to the conduct of the members. He suggested that the matter needs to be probed either by the government or by the Speaker to establish the truth.

She announced her decision immediately after Question Hour. Sougata Roy of TMC has protested about the decision of referring the matter to Ethics Committee of the House. He alleged that unilateral decision was taken in the matter.

Yesterday, members belonging to Congress, Left and the BJP demanded action in the matter while Trinamool Congress leaders rubbished it as a conspiracy against the ruling party in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress on Monday faced an embarrassing situation after several of its leaders were allegedly caught on camera accepting bribes.

The sting operation, carried out by a news channel put on in its website allegedly showed as many as 11 Trinamool leaders, including former union ministers, state ministers and MPs, accepting bribes in return for favours to a fictitious company.