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Lok Sabha panel asks ‘degree’ query from BJP MP, summons Mahua Moitra on Oct 31
Jai Anant Dehadrai, whom Moitra had called "jilted-ex", was cross-examined by the panel, sources said.
The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha has summoned Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on October 31, to depose before it over the cash-for-query charge against her. The panel had convened to record oral evidence from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who have accused Moitra of accepting bribes to ask queries targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
"The two people who were summoned today – the lawyer and Nishikant Dubey – were heard attentively. After that, it was decided that Mahua Moitra would be called on 31st October. She will come and present her part. The committee has also decided that the IT ministry and MHA will be sent letters to make her details available," said Vinod Sonkar, the chairman of the panel.
Jai Anant Dehadrai, whom Moitra had called "jilted-ex", was cross-examined by the panel, sources said.
The panel also asked Nishikant Dubey if he was bringing charges against Moitra because she had accused him of having a fake degree.
Sources said the panel was taking the charges against Moitra "very seriously".
Dubey has submitted a written complaint to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla citing documents provided by Dehadrai, saying she had shared her login credentials of Lok Sabha's official website with businessman Darshan Hiranandani to allow him to post questions in Parliament directly.
In the letter, Dubey had written that the lawyer, who was close to Moitra before they fell out, had shared "irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged" between her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani. Moitra had dismissed the charges as a jilted ex's lies and accused the Adani Group of targeting her to stop her from raising questions on the conglomerate. She had also accused the BJP of conspiring to expel her from the Lok Sabha.
Hiranandani later filed an affidavit admitting he had Moitra's login credentials.
Before his meeting with the Ethics Committee, Nishikant Dubey said, “I will reply to whatever questions they ask me. I will appear before the committee whenever it asks me. Documents don't lie. Now the question is whether Mahua is a thief or not.”
In March, Moitra, in a series of tweets, accused Dubey of falsely declaring "MBA from Delhi University" as one his qualifications in his election affidavits in 2009 and 2014. She claimed he didn't mention the MBA degree in his 2019 affidavit.
“In 2019 Lok Sabha affidavit, Hon’ble Member makes no mention of MBA and instead only states he has a PhD in Management from Pratap University Rajasthan in 2018. Please note- One cannot do a PhD from UGC deemed uni without valid masters degree (sic),” she had said.
Referring to Dubey's charge that her website account was accessed from Dubey when she was in India, she wrote on X earlier this week , "Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including “Dubai” logins to probe agency. Now Ashwini Vaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm. BJP welcome to do hit job on me but Adani+Godda perhaps not best strategists!"
