The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha has issued a summons to Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, setting the date for her appearance on October 31. This move comes in response to the cash-for-query charges brought against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
During the committee’s meeting on Thursday, initially, opposition MPs opposed the presence of Mr. Dubey, the complainant, and Jai Anant Dehadrai, an advocate and Ms. Moitra’s former partner, for their depositions.
When Mr. Dehadrai entered the meeting, opposition members vehemently protested, with BSP MP Danish Ali highlighting the perceived inconsistency in the treatment of cases by the Ethics Committee and the Privilege Committee. Mr. Ali pointed out in a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that the Privilege Committee had initially summoned the defendant, Mr. Bidhuri, in his case, while the Ethics Committee chose to call the complainant, Mr. Dubey, first in this instance.
The deadlock between opposition and BJP MPs on Thursday was resolved through a vote, with Chairman and BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar casting the decisive vote. Five opposition MPs voted against allowing Mr. Dubey and Mr. Dehadrai to present evidence, while six ruling party MPs voted in favor. Four committee members, including Congress MP Preneet Kaur, were absent from the meeting.
Chairman Mr. Sonkar informed reporters at the end of the meeting that they had heard the testimonies of both Mr. Dubey and Mr. Dehadrai, who had been summoned by the committee. Due to the seriousness of the allegations, Ms. Moitra has now been summoned to present her defense on October 31. He also disclosed that the committee had sought assistance from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, without revealing the specific information they had requested from these ministries.
The opposition has demanded that industrialist Darshan Hiranandani, who submitted an affidavit incriminating Ms. Moitra, be summoned before the committee. A senior opposition leader mentioned that they were informed that Mr. Hiranandani is a UAE citizen, and they need legal advice on whether he can be called for the meeting.
According to the complaint filed by Mr. Dubey and Mr. Dehadrai, the Trinamool Congress MP had shared her Lok Sabha log-in and password with industrialist Mr. Hiranandani in exchange for financial benefits, enabling him to ask questions on her behalf. Mr. Hiranandani, in his affidavit submitted to the Ethics Committee, has turned approver.
The opposition questioned the urgency of the committee’s actions, particularly in light of the preceding propaganda from the BJP. They emphasized the danger of corporate influence in parliamentary proceedings and called for a non-selective approach to investigations.
The opposition also raised questions about Mr. Dubey’s motives in filing the complaint, suggesting it might be driven by Ms. Moitra’s sustained campaign against him regarding his alleged “fake degree.” Mr. Dubey responded by noting that the matter of his degree had reached the Supreme Court, and his complaint had been dismissed at that level. He argued that public allegations do not necessarily reflect the truth.