The ethics committee, which is examining the cash for query allegations against Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Mahua Moitra, has now deferred its hearing from November 7 to 9. On November 9, the panel will adopt its report on the findings of the case and submit it to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for his perusal and subsequent action against the MP.
The committee has prepared a report of around 400 pages, which will be given to MPs. As per sources, English and Hindi translations of the draft report are unlikely to be available for circulation before Tuesday. It is also one of the reasons for the change of date, say sources. This draft report will have to be circulated to the committee members before the meeting.
About the deferment, a source told Network 18, “There are a number of reasons for the meeting to be deferred by two days. It includes the unavailability of many members on November 7. We will need a quorum for the report to be adopted and passed.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Opposition parties MPs including TMC MP Mahua Moitra and BSP MP Danish Ali, walked out from the Parliament Ethics Committee meeting. TMC MP Mahua Moitra appeared before the Parliament Ethics Committee in connection with the 'cash for query' charge against her. pic.twitter.com/EkwYLPnD1O
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2023
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST MEETING
The last meeting, in which Moitra was summoned as a witness, was on the complaints against her filed by lawyer J Anand and Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey. Minutes after the cross-examination had begun, the TMC MP, along with opposition MPs Danish Ali, Uttam Kumar Reddy and others, stormed out, citing indecency on behalf of panel chief Vinod Sonkar. The TMC MP alleged that she was asked “uncomfortable, and indecent questions” pertaining to her personal life, and which allegedly had nothing to do with the case for examination.
The panel has decided that no more witnesses would be summoned. After her deposition, Moitra had said she was sure of her allegations against the Chair as everything was documented. “All the evidences provided in the matter, including all the statements made by those who were summoned as witnesses and also MPs’ remarks, would be a part of the committee report. Every single thing will be included in the report,” a source told Network 18.
THE COMPLAINT
Based on a complaint from Dubey, Birla had referred the matter to the ethics committee. The panel, on October 26, summoned two complainants — Jay Anant and Dubey. Following this, Moitra was summoned on November 2.
In his complaint, supported by the complaint made by Anant, Dubey asked the Lok Sabha Speaker to look into the charges of Moitra allegedly allowing businessman Darshan Hiranandani to log into her Lok Sabha login credentials to pose questions against a certain corporate house and to get some favours in return.
Later, in a sworn affidavit, businessman Darshan Hiranandani admitted to giving the TMC MP some expensive gifts and paying for her travel, etc. In his affidavit, he also accepted that he logged into her Lok Sabha credentials to put in questions that she asked in Parliament.
Apart from the testimony of the two complainants and deposition of Moitra, the panel has also relied on the replies submitted to it from the Ministry of Information and Technology, which provided details of the NIC login, and Home Ministry, which also provided the travel details of the MP. The committee is also looking at the report sought from the Ministry of External Affairs, which provided details to certify the affidavit of Hiranandani.
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