Mahua Moitra questioning: Nishikant Dubey says he'll leave politics if...
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey said that he would retire from politics if it was proven that Mahua Moitra faced personal questions from the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee. Moitra appeared before the parliamentary panel late on Thursday in relation to the cash-for-query case. However, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and opposition MPs walked out, claiming that inappropriate questions unrelated to the investigation were posed. "Is this an ethics committee?...reading from a script," Moitra said.
Why does this story matter?
Moitra is being probed based on allegations that she took bribes to ask questions in Parliament. She has been accused of asking questions against the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in return for cash from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani. As per Dubey, Hiranandani gave Moitra Rs. 2 crore, gifts, and Rs. 75 lakh to fight polls. He added that 50 of the 61 questions asked by Moitra between 2019 and 2023 were on Hiranandani's behalf.
Moitra, Opposition MPs walk out of panel meeting
The ethics committee's questioning of Moitra on Thursday went awry when opposition MPs exited the session, alleging that she was subjected to improper personal inquiries. Speaking to PTI, Moitra said, "The chairperson insisted on asking the most cheap, misogynic questions about my personal life including 'Who do you talk to at night, how many times'. 'Have you been to a hotel with X...have you stayed there." Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy accused Chairperson Vinod Sonkar of "acting at somebody's behest."
Watch: Moitra accuses ethics committee of asking sordid questions
Dubey demands proof of indecent questioning
Meanwhile, Dubey challenged Congress and JD(U) MPs to present evidence of the indecent questioning. He stated, "In his affidavit, Darshan Hiranandani claimed to have paid for the air travel and hotel and cars of the corrupt MP in India and abroad. The chairman of the Ethics Committee asked for the tickets and the hotel bills." Dubey also criticized Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali for supporting Moitra, remarking, "Don't stoop so low in the issue of...woman's victim card."
Moitra accepts sharing credentials with Hiranandani
During the panel meeting, Moitra reportedly accepted sharing her parliamentary ID credentials with businessman Hiranandani but denied accepting any gifts or monetary benefits for raising questions in the House. She attributed the complaint to a "sour personal relationship," claiming that Jai Anant Dehadrai, the Supreme Court lawyer who complained against her to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was her "jilted ex."
Hiranandani's affidavit accused Moitra of wanting quick national fame
In a major embarrassment for Moitra, Hiranandani, whom she called her businessman friend, submitted an affidavit against her. She claimed that he had submitted it under pressure, to which he stated it was "neither under fear nor favor." In the affidavit, he accused the TMC leader of pursuing a rapid path to national prominence by personally targeting PM Modi through her attacks on the Adani Group.
