Finance
New Delhi: The parliamentary Ethics Committee, conducting an inquiry into complaints of “cash for query” against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, has requested her login and travel details. The committee held its inaugural hearing on Thursday.
The Ethics Committee has written to the Union IT and Home ministries for details of Mahua Moitra’s logins and locations to try and verify allegations that she allowed businessman Darshan Hiranandani to access her parliamentary login to post questions directly for Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha MP has been accused of taking money to ask questions in parliament, on behalf of the businessman, allegedly designed to target the government and the Adani Group.
The panel has also written to the Ministry of External Affairs to check if an affidavit by Darshan Hiranandani, who is based in Dubai, is ratified.
In the affidavit, Mr Hiranandani had alleged that Mahua Moitra shared her Lok Sabha e-mail ID so he could send her information targeting the Adani Group and she could raise questions in parliament. He claimed she later gave him the login so he could post directly.
The panel has said it will call “no more witnesses” after hearing Mahua Moitra, and submit its report in the beginning of November.
In a nearly three-hour hearing yesterday, the committee heard BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and discussed every aspect of the allegations they have made against the Trinamool MP.
Nishikant Dubey had first written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to start the inquiry, following Mr Dehadrai’s complaint to the Supreme Court.
Mr Dehradai, whom Ms Moitra called a “jilted ex”, claims “irrefutable evidence” of Darshan Hiranandani giving the Trinamool leader bribes to ask questions critical of the Adani Group.
Ms Moitra has denied all allegations and said that she is ready to answer questions from the committee.
