The ethics committee of the Lok Sabha has asked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai to depose before it in connection with their allegations that Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mohua Moitra was involved in “cash for query” in Parliament.
“Oral evidence of Dr Nishikant Dubey, MP, in respect of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by him against Smt Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament,” the Lok Sabha secretariat said in a communication of the meeting to the BJP MP.
It sent a similar letter for “oral evidence” of Dehadrai as well.
“…the Committee on Ethics has decided to hear you in the above matter, in person, on Thursday, 26 October, 2023...,” the letter sent by the secretariat said.
According to a parliament functionary, “The ethics committee will record the statement of the two.”
The panel’s findings, officials pointed out, will be applicable to the current Lok Sabha.
READ | BJP MP says Mahua Moitra took ‘bribes’ to ask questions in House
On Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had initiated the process of referring Dubey’s complaint, in which the BJP MP mentioned Dehadrai, to the ethics branch. In his letter to the speaker on October 15, Dubey accused Moitra of taking bribes from real estate tycoon Darshan Hiranandani in the form of cash and gifts to ask questions in Parliament. He also wrote to IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to investigate the IP addresses of her login credentials for Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}On Monday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had initiated the process of referring Dubey’s complaint, in which the BJP MP mentioned Dehadrai, to the ethics branch. In his letter to the speaker on October 15, Dubey accused Moitra of taking bribes from real estate tycoon Darshan Hiranandani in the form of cash and gifts to ask questions in Parliament. He also wrote to IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to investigate the IP addresses of her login credentials for Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}Dubey claimed that Dehadrai had “shared irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between her and Hiranandani.
The Hiranandani Group has denied the allegations.
Parliament officials said after Dubey and Dehadrai’s deposition, Moitra will get an opportunity to record her statement.
On October 15, Moitra said she “welcomes any move against her after the Lok Sabha Speaker is finished dealing with pending charges against him (Dubey).” The TMC MP also urged the speaker to “Finish the enquiries against him (Dubey) for false affidavits and then set up my enquiry committee.”
The Adani Group, the target of many of Moitra’s comments and speeches inside and outside Parliament, in a statement mentioned that “a Supreme Court lawyer Mr. Jai Anant Dehadrai, filed a complaint with the CBI in the form of a sworn affidavit bringing on record “the commission of an elaborate criminal conspiracy” by Hon’ble MP Ms. Mahua Moitra and Mr. Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of Hiranandani Group, for specifically targeting, inter alia, Mr. Gautam Adani and his group of companies through parliamentary questions.”
The Hiranandani Group is a conglomerate with interests in several industries including real estate, IT, and energy.
Moitra, who had earlier demanded probe into the Adani Group, launched an attack on “Mr A” and “A Company” on X, formerly Twitter.
“3 questions jittery A Company need to answer in next press statement: 1- Where is the national interest when you used a Chinese national and a UAE national and 3 offshore companies to over invoice ₹13,000 crores of coal?” she posted.
“Where is the national interest in you manipulating IOCL and GAIL in Dhamra LNG contract of ₹46,500 crores without a tender? What is your national interest in getting coal mines in Rajasthan without a tender?” Where is the national interest in SEBI letting your benami FPI holdings manipulate lakhs of crores in the market,” Moitra posted.