Cash-For-Query row: Report on Mahua Moitra tabled in Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee

Cash-For-Query row: The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee submitted its findings on the cash-for-query accusations involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra today. BJP MP Vijay Sonkar, the committee's head, presented the report during the parliamentary session.

Following the report's presentation, chaos erupted in the Lok Sabha, prompting a two-hour adjournment. The committee purportedly suggested Moitra's removal from the Lok Sabha, alleging that she utilized her parliamentary portal to pose questions to businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for bribes.

#WATCH | TMC MP Mahua Moitra says, "Maa Durga aa gayi hai, ab dekhenge...Jab naash manuj par chhata hai, pehle vivek mar jaata hai. They have started 'vastraharan' and now you will watch 'Mahabharat ka rann'."

Ethics Panel report on her to be tabled in Lok Sabha today. pic.twitter.com/r28o2ABVbB — ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2023

Moitra acknowledged sharing her credentials with the businessman but affirmed that the questions were of her own making. She stated using the businessman's staff to input her questions on the portal and denied any acceptance of bribes or infringement of parliamentary regulations. The opposition is pushing for a debate on the report in the House. Contrarily, the ruling BJP asserts that Mahua Moitra compromised national security by disclosing her login details to Hiranandani.

During the committee's deliberations, six members supported the report, while four from the Opposition dissented, branding the report as a premeditated outcome. The Opposition's discontent surfaced earlier when Ms. Moitra and other MPs exited the ethics committee meeting on November 2, objecting to the meeting's procedural handling. Conversely, the committee contended that her departure was an attempt to evade further questioning and lacked cooperation.

Ms. Moitra dismissed the allegations brought forth by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, labeling him a "jilted ex" after he filed the complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The complaint centered on claims that Ms. Moitra provided her parliamentary login credentials to businessman Darshan Hiranandani, purportedly to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Despite denying the cash-for-query allegations, Ms. Moitra acknowledged sharing her parliamentary login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani. In an affidavit, Hiranandani alleged that the Trinamool MP initially shared her MP email for information exchange, later extending access by providing her login and password, enabling him to directly post questions in parliament.

The ethics committee, in its investigative pursuit, reached out to the Information Technology Ministry and the Home Ministry to scrutinise the alleged misuse of Ms. Moitra's parliamentary login credentials.

Also Read: RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5%, maintains status quo for 5th time

- With inputs from agencies

Join Whatsapp Channel