Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, who is at the centre of a bribe-for-query row, on Thursday appeared before the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha. The panel is probing BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey’s bribe-for-query allegations against Moitra.
Dubey has alleged that Moitra has asked questions in the Parliament, at the behest of CEO of Hiranandani group, Darshan Hiranandani, in return for bribes and favours from the Dubai-based scion. In an affidavit to the Ethics panel on October 19, Hiranandani claimed that the TMC MP provided him her Parliament login ID and password so that he could “post questions” directly on her “behalf” when required.
Cash-for-query row so far
-On October 15, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging that West Bengal based-Trinamool Congress (TMC) party MP Mahua Moitra took bribes for raising questions in Parliament to “protect interest of a business group”. The BJP MP alleged that he had received documents from an advocate, Jai Anant Dehadrai, who, he claimed, “shared irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between the TMC MP and a business to “ask questions in Parliament”.
He mentioned that out of the 61 total questions posed by her till date, “approximately 50 questions” were posed which sought information with the intent of “protecting business interests of a company”.
Dubey also wrote to IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to investigate the IP addresses of Moitra’s log-in credentials for the Houses.
Birla referred the matter to the committee headed by BJP member Vinod Kumar Sonkar.
The fiery TMC member dismissed the charges as a “jilted ex’s lies”, a reference to Dehadrai, and accused the Adani Group of being behind them to target her as she has been relentless in raising questions on the conglomerate’s practices and transactions.
-On October 18, the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee asked Dubey and Dehadrai to appear before it for “oral evidence” on October 26.
-On October 19, Darshan Hiranandani, in a three-page affidavit to Ethics Committee, said that the TMC leader targeted Gautam Adani to “malign and embrass” Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose impeccable reputation gave opposition no opportunity to attack him. He also admitted using Moitra’s Parliamentary login to ask questions targeting Adani after state-owned behemoth Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) booked capacity at the Gujarat-based conglomerate’s Dhamra LNG import facility in Odisha and not at his firm’s planned facility.
Moitra, he claimed, “made frequent demands” including “expensive luxury items, providing support on renovation of her officially allotted bungalow in Delhi, travel expenses, holidays, etc, apart from providing secretarial and logistical help for her travels within India and to different parts of the world.”
-On October 26, lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP’s Dubey appeared before the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha to record their statements.
Sonkar later told reporters that Moitra had been asked to appear before the panel on October 31.
-On October 27, Moitra wrote to committee chairman Sonkar stating that she will be able to appear before the Ethics panel only after November 5 since she has to keep her engagements in her Parliamentary constituency until then.
She also urged the panel to call Darshan Hiranandani for deposition and allow her to cross-examine him.
-On October 28, Moitra admitted she gave her Parliament login and password details to her friend and businessman Darshan Hiranandani but denied taking any cash from him, as alleged by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai in his complaint to CBI.
In an interview to The Indian Express in the backdrop of the cash-for-query row, Moitra said, “No MP types her/his own question. I have given him (Darshan) the password and login for someone in his office to type it (the questions) down and upload.”
To upload a question, an OTP (one-time password) is required, she said, “My phone number is given (for the OTP)… There is no question of Darshan or anyone putting it without my knowledge.”
-On October 28, the Lok Sabha ethics panel asked Moitra to appear before it on November 2, asserting that no further extension will be granted to her.
-On November 1, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has remained mum on the issue, broke her silence and called actions against Moitra as “political vendetta”.
-On November 2, Moitra appeared before the Ethics panel of the lower house. Reportedly, the TMC MP pleaded innocence to the ‘cash-for-query’ allegation levelled against her and told a parliamentary committee that the charge is motivated by animus of advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai after she broke her personal relations with him, PTI reported, quoting sources.
At around 4 PM, Mahua Moitra and Opposition MPs said that they have “walked out” of the Ethics panel meeting because “unethical questions” were being asked. Moitra claimed that the Ethics Committee asked “filthy questions” during the meet.