Ethics Committee may investigate Mahua Moitra's foreign trips
The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee is reportedly planning to request the Home Ministry to track the foreign travels of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra over the past five years, India Today reported. The purpose of this inquiry is to establish whether Moitra adhered to proper protocols, such as notifying the Lok Sabha and obtaining necessary approvals. The parliamentary panel has already asked the Ministry of Information Technology for the aforementioned information.
Why does this story matter?
This development comes amidst the committee's probe into the "cash-for-query" scam, which alleges that the TMC leader took bribes to ask questions in Parliament. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey had accused her of asking questions in Parliament against the Adani Group in return for cash from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani. The case got postponed after her lawyer, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, withdrew, citing a conflict of interest.
More on cash-for-query row
Dubey asserted that he possessed concrete evidence of the bribery transactions and called on Speaker Om Birla to form an investigative committee. These claims were based on a letter from Jai Anant Dehadrai, Moitra's former partner, who accused her of accepting bribes to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani in Parliament. On Thursday, both Dubey and Dehadrai appeared before the committee to submit oral evidence.
Ethics committee summons Moitra
Moitra, on the other hand, has been summoned by the ethics committee to appear before it on October 31. Although the TMC leader is still waiting for the official summons copy, she is anticipated to appear before the committee. Notably, a defamation plea that Moitra filed against Dubey, lawyer Dehadrai, and several media houses is also listed for hearing in the Delhi High Court on October 31.
Moitra welcomes probe, Dubey alleges corruption
Moitra has expressed her willingness to cooperate with the Lower House's investigation into the matter, provided that alleged privilege violations by other BJP lawmakers are addressed first. In response, Dubey argued that the issue is not about Adani, degrees, or theft but rather about Moitra's corruption in deceiving the nation. Dubey informed the panel that he had thoroughly examined Supreme Court attorney Dehadrai's complaint before endorsing it, per India Today.
