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House panel tells Moitra to appear before it on Nov 2
As the row over the allegations raged, two Congress lawmakers came out in Moitra’s support even as her party chose to distance itself from the issue
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee probing the “cash-for-query” allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra asked her to appear before it on November 2, turning down her request that she be allowed to depose after November 5.
As the row over the allegations raged, two Congress lawmakers came out in Moitra’s support even as her party chose to distance itself from the issue. The parliamentary panel, which heard Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai on Thursday, had asked Moitra to depose on October 31.
On Friday, Moitra wrote to the panel’s chief chairman Vinod Kumar Sonkar saying that she won’t be able to appear before the committee before November 5 due to prior engagements. “I request to be given time to appear in person before the committee at any date and time of the committee’s choice after 5th November 2023,” she said in the letter.
The privileges and ethics branch of the Lok Sabha secretariat in a reply to Moitra asked her to depose before the panel on November 2, ruling out any more extensions “keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, having implications on the dignity of Parliament as well as its Members.”
“Any further request for extension of date for appearing before the Committee, i.e., re-scheduling the sitting of the Committee for any reason whatsoever would not be entertained, ” the letter to Moitra said.
In her letter to the panel chief, Moitra also said that she be allowed to “cross-examine” Darshan Hiranandani, the businessman who said in a signed affidavit that he gifted Moitra “expensive luxury items”, underwriting the “renovation of her official” bungalow; and posting “questions directly on her behalf” using the Parliament login and password that she provided him. The proceedings, however, do not typically have any provision for those deposing before it to cross-examine others.
Coming out in Moitra’s support, Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that as a lawmaker, she was entitled to ask questions based on the information she had
“I am not getting into the issue of corruption. That is a separate matter. But as a public representative, if I get any important information, it is incumbent upon me to raise the issue for the benefit of the people. As a colleague in Lok Sabha, I support her,” he said.
The Congress’s Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha defended Moitra’s request to be allowed to cross-examine Hiranandani.
“Parliamentarian @MahuaMoitra is entitled in law to quiz Dubai based businessman Darshan Hiranandani, if Ethics Committee is using his affidavit statement ag her or else will be travesty of law & natural justice,” he posted on X.
Last week, the TMC’s Lok Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien said the party will take an appropriate decision on the matter after the panel finishes its probe.
“We have observed reports in the media. The member concerned has been advised by the party leadership to clarify her position regarding the allegations levelled against her. She has already done that. However, since the matter has to do with an elected MP, her rights and privileges, let the matter be investigated by the right forum of Parliament- after which the party leadership will take an appropriate decision,” he told news agency PTI on October 22.
Moitra on Saturday rejected the allegations against her, posting on X (formerly Twitter): “First BJP said ‘Cash for Questions’ . That failed since no evidence to back fake allegation . Now it is ‘National Security’…
