The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha, which is investigating the cash-for-query accusations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, scheduled to convene on November 7 will now meet on November 9 for the “consideration and adoption” of its draft report.
The Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee chaired by Vinod Kumar Sonkar will finalise the draft report after its inquiry into the charges against Moitra, levelled by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, is complete. It will then recommend action to be taken in the matter.
Also Read: Mahua Moitra appears before Lok Sabha ethics panel in cash-for-query row
Moitra had repeatedly requested the committee’s chairman, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, to summon Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of the Hiranandani Group, for testimony and permit her to cross-examine him, along with lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai.
Moitra expressed her concerns about the BJP allegedly planning criminal cases against her, saying, “Shaking in my skin to know BJP (is) planning criminal cases against me. Welcome them – only know that CBI and ED need to file FIR against Adani for Rs 13,000 crore coal scam before they question how many pairs of shoes I have.”
Reiterating her claims against Sonkar, Moitra stated that the questions posed to her in the last committee meeting on November 2 were “undignified”, mentioning that she has an exact transcript of the proceedings in the Ethics Committee.
Moitra, in another post on X, calling Sonkar “besharam and behuda” wrote, “Also BJP – before you push out women MPs with fake narrative remember I have EXACT transcript of record in Ethics Committee verbatim. Chairman’s cheap sordid irrelevant questions, Opposition’s protests, my protests – all there in official black and white.”
The fact that the meeting is called to consider and adopt the draft report indicates that the panel has completed its inquiry. Given the support from opposition members who walked out of the panel’s meeting with Moitra last week, it’s possible that some of them will submit dissenting opinions.
In one of her letters to Chairman Sonkar, Moitra insisted on her right to cross-examine Shri Hiranandani, stressing that any inquiry without his oral evidence would be incomplete and unfair. Moitra said, “It is imperative that I am allowed to exercise my right to cross-examine Shri Hiranandani. I wish to place on record that any enquiry without the oral evidence of Shri Hiranandani will be incomplete, unfair and akin to holding a proverbial ‘kangaroo court’ and that he too will need to be called to depose before the Committee before it prepares its final report.”
The previous committee meeting on November 2 was marked by heated exchanges as Moitra walked out with opposition members, accusing Chairman Sonkar of posing “undignified questions.” She alleged that the meeting was an “orchestrated cheer-haran (disrobing) designed to humiliate” her and had reported this to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Sonkar defended his line of questioning, stating that it was related to the allegations against Moitra made by businessman Darshan Hiranandani and the complainant’s accusations he said, “All questions were regarding the charges made against her by (businessman Darshan) Hiranandani and the allegations made against her by the complainant,”
‘Cash-for-query’ row
Moitra is facing ‘cash-for-query’ allegations made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that the Trinamool MP had taken bribes from Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani to raise questions in Parliament to target the Adani Group.
Dubey had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last month titled “Re-emergence of nasty ‘Cash for Query’ in Parliament”, seeking a probe into his allegations. He also claimed that Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai had provided him with proof of alleged bribes. Both Dubey and Jai Dehadrai have appeared before the Ethics Committee earlier.
Moitra appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee over cash-for-query allegations against her. She and opposition members of the panel “walked out” of the meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Later in her letter, she alleged that she experienced “Proverbial Vastraharan” by the panel chairman in the presence of all committee members, along with “unethical, sordid, demeaning, and prejudiced behavior” during the meeting.