Mahua Moitra demands investigation in the 2022 airport ATC case, refers to BJP MP as 'farji Dubey'
New Delhi, October 24: Trinamool Congress MP, Mahua Moitra, strongly criticized Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey and called for an investigation into the 2022 incident at the Deoghar airport's Air Traffic Control (ATC). Dubey and another MP, Manoj Tiwari, had been booked last year for allegedly entering the ATC without authorization.
The ongoing feud between the two MPs escalated when Dubey accused Moitra of accepting bribes from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for raising questions in Parliament. Dubey shared a screenshot of a letter from Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in which the minister assured Dubey of full cooperation from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in the investigation of Moitra's alleged misuse of parliament login credentials in Dubai.
देश की सुरक्षा को एक सांसद के लोभ ने ख़तरे में डाल दिया ।रावण दहन व दुर्गा माता के कलश व विसर्जन के बाद धर्म युद्ध की शुरुआत ।यह राजनीति से उपर ,पक्ष-विपक्ष का नहीं देश की सुरक्षा ,अखंडता का सवाल है । pic.twitter.com/L912j4XVPL — Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) October 24, 2023
In response to Vaishnaw's letter, Moitra took to social media and commented, "Amused to hear of @AshwiniVaishnaw letter to Fake Degree Wala promising support in the 'probe' against me! Still waiting for @HMOIndia & @Ministry_CA to probe Farji Dubey’s illegal entry into airport ATC room last year with kids!" She questioned the inconsistency between Dubey's earlier claims and the NIC's willingness to provide information.
Moitra continued, "Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already gave details, including 'Dubai' logins, to the probe agency. Now @AshwiniVaishnaw says NIC will give info in the future if asked by LS or Ethics Comm. BJP is welcome to target me, but Adani Godda perhaps are not the best strategists!"
Moitra was alluding to a 2022 incident involving Dubey at the Deoghar airport in Jharkhand. He and fellow MP Manoj Tiwari, along with seven others, were booked for forcibly entering the Air Traffic Control (ATC) area beyond the permitted operating hours, despite the airport not being cleared for night operations. The incident occurred while they were returning to Delhi after meeting the family of a minor girl who had been burned alive in Dumka.
Moitra had commented on the situation on social media at the time, saying, "I know BJP’s SOP for bringing down opposition state governments involves chartered planes, but does it now also include barging into ATC Control Rooms? Just asking."
Deoghar's deputy commissioner, Manjunath Bhajantri, asserted that the BJP leaders had landed at the airport, which was not yet fully operational, on a chartered plane and allegedly entered the ATC room. They reportedly pressured the pilot to grant clearance for landing, despite night operations not being permitted at the airport.
Following a complaint by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, the Delhi Police filed a zero FIR against Bhajantri, charging him with sedition and under the Official Secrets Act.
- With inputs from agencies
