New Delhi: TMC MP Mahua Moitra was questioned by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on Thursday 2 November in the case of taking money and asking questions in Parliament. Mahua Moitra, Danish Ali, and other opposition MPs angrily walked out of the Ethics Committee office at 3:35 p.m. When she was asked the reason for her anger, Danish Ali said – The Chairman is asking who she talks to at night, what she talks about. What kind of ethics committee is this, which is asking unethical questions? The Ethics Committee continued its deliberations even after the uproar by opposition members and TMC MP Mahua.
Inquiry into who said what on boycott…
- On the boycott of opposition members, Ethics Committee chief Vinod Sonkar said – The members used objectionable words against the functioning of the panel and against me.
- BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said- Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee is bound to question Mahua Moitra on the claims made in the affidavit of Darshan Hiranandani.
- Ethics panel member Aparajita Sarangi said- When asked about Darshan’s affidavit, TMC MP Mahua behaved angrily and arrogantly.
- TMC MP Mahua reached the office of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee in Parliament at around 10:50 a.m.
- TMC MP Mahua reached the office of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee in Parliament at around 10:50 a.m.
Mahua had declared herself innocent
Earlier news had come that Mahua had declared himself innocent in front of the Ethics Committee. He said that this controversy had arisen due to sour personal relations with lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai. In Mahua’s case, the Home, IT, and External Affairs Ministries have submitted reports to the Ethics Committee, on the basis of which Mahua was questioned and answered.
According to reports, the IT Ministry told the committee that Mahua’s ID was logged in at least 47 times from Dubai. The committee had sought information from the three ministries after the meeting held on October 26.
Mahua left for Parliament from her Delhi residence at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, 2 November.
Mahua had said- I will destroy all the lies on 2nd November.
On the other hand, before leaving for Delhi, Mahua said – ‘I will destroy all the lies on 2nd November. If I had taken even a single rupee, the BJP would have immediately put me in jail. BJP wants to suspend me from Parliament. The truth is that they can’t even style my hair. The Ethics Committee does not have criminal jurisdiction.
Dehadrai said – I will soon reveal the truth to everyone
Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who filed a complaint against Mahua in the cash for query case, said that the matter is still in court, so it would not be right to say anything about it right now, but I will reveal the truth later.
He said that I cannot comment about anyone else. This is a free country, here everyone can say whatever they want, but whatever you say, you have to face the consequences. When the right time comes, I will also tell everyone what happened. If a person is trying to hide the reality by becoming a victim, then the whole country is watching him. The majority of people are intelligent. Jai Anant Dehadrai has filed a complaint against Mahua by giving evidence against her in CBI.
Mahua demanded an examination of Hiranandani-Dehadrai
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has demanded cross-examination of businessman Darshan Hiranandani and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Ananth Dehadrai. He wrote a letter to the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha on 31 October. In this the TMC MP said- Hiranandani and Dehadrai have not given proof of the allegations made against me. Therefore, I want to use my right to cross-examine both of them.
On October 19, Hiranandani gave an affidavit to the committee in the case, saying that he had bribed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to ask questions in Parliament. After this, TMC MP Mahua Moitra admitted that she had given her Parliament login password to her friend and businessman Darshan Hiranandani. However, he denied that he took cash or expensive gifts in return.
The Ethics Committee is not the right place to investigate private matters.
Mahua said- There has been no meeting of the Ethics Committee after 2021. The committee has not yet prepared its model code of conduct. If there is any criminal charge against me then the investigating agencies should investigate. The Ethics Committee is not the right place to investigate someone’s private matter. Mahua said- The committee released my summons in the media, hence I am also releasing the letter.
What is the whole matter?
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on October 15. In this, he had accused Mahua that Mahua had taken money and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in Parliament. The Speaker sent this matter to the Ethics Committee.
Nishikant made another serious allegation against Mahua on 21 October. Nishikant wrote in his post on social media – For some money, an MP mortgaged the security of the country. I have complained to the Lokpal regarding this.
He said that the Parliament ID was opened from Dubai, whereas at that time the alleged MP was in India. The entire Government of India is on this National Informatics Center (NIC). The country’s Prime Minister, Finance Department, and central agencies are here. Do TMC and opposition parties still have to do politics? The decision is of the public. NIC has given this information to the investigating agency.
The Ethics Committee sent a summons to Mahua on October 27 and directed him to appear before the committee on October 31 at 11 a.m. Mahua had written to the Ethics Committee on the same day that she would be able to be present only after November 5. On 28 October, the Ethics Committee asked Mahua to appear before him on 2 November.
Mahua Moitra asked 62 questions in Parliament, 9 related to Adani.
Since becoming MP in 2019, Mahua Moitra has asked 62 questions related to 28 central ministries in Parliament. These include petroleum, agriculture, shipping, civil aviation, railways etc.
According to the sansad.in the website, out of 62 questions, a maximum of nine questions were for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, followed by eight questions for Finance.
Out of a total 62 questions, 9 were related to the Adani Group. Of these, six questions were for the Petroleum Ministry and one question each for the Finance, Civil Aviation and Coal Ministries.
What punishment will Mahua get if the allegations are proven true?
Any MP who faces such allegations is given a chance to present his side. The committee will investigate whether these questions have been asked in the interest of any particular person or to benefit his business. After a complete investigation, the Ethics Committee will submit its report to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
If any kind of punishment is recommended it, then after the report is placed in the Parliament, action can be taken against that MP based on consent. At the same time, the Speaker also has the right to decide on action if the session is not going on.
