On Thursday (26th October) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee to record their statements pertaining to the alleged cash-for-query scam involving TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
The Committee on Ethics is scheduled to meet today to take oral evidence of Sh Jai Anant Dehadrai,Advocate & Dr @nishikant_dubey,MP in respect of complaint given by Dr @nishikant_dubey, MP against Smt @MahuaMoitra,MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament. pic.twitter.com/PJYLgUho4Y
— LOK SABHA (@LokSabhaSectt) October 26, 2023
The BJP MP said that he will cooperate with the Ethics Committee. “I will give all the information that the Committee asks me to provide. I will appear before the Committee whenever it asks me to. I will submit all the documents, the truth is in the documents,” Dubey said as he arrived at the Parliament annexe.
On being asked about Mahua Moitra’s allegation that Nishikant Dubey submitted fake degree in his election nomination papers, Dubey said that there is only one question that needs to be answered which is whether Mahua Moitra is a thief or not.
"सभी सांसद चिंतित हैं… जब वे मुझे अगली बार बुलाएंगे तो मैं आऊंगा.."
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) October 26, 2023
◆ भाजपा सांसद निशिकांत दुबे ने कहा@nishikant_dubey #BJP #MahuaMoitra pic.twitter.com/nI4bggt5gM
“The only question is Mahua chor hai ki nahi,” Nishikant Dubey said.
When asked about TMC MP Mahua Moitra refuting the accusations levelled against her, Dubey said, “Documents don’t lie”
Before Dubey, lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before the Ethics Committee to record his statement. The meeting began at around 12:30 A.M. today.
Chairman of Parliament Ethics Committee Vinod Sonkar said that Mahua Moitra will be called on 31 October for questioning on the matter. “The two people who were summoned today – the lawyer and Nishikant Dubey – were heard attentively. After that, it was decided that Mahua Moitra would be called on October 31. She will come and present her part. The committee has also decided that the IT Ministry and MHA will be sent letters to make her details available,” Vinod Sonkar said.
Today was the first meeting of the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha to address the “Cash for Query” allegations lodged against TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is headed by the BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar and includes Vishnu Datt Sharma, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Aparajita Sarangi, Rajdeep Roy, Sunita Duggal, and Subhash Bhamre of the BJP; Ve Vaithilingam, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Preneet Kaur of the Congress; Balashowry Vallabbhaneni (YSRCP); Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena); Giridhari Yadav (JD-U); P R Natarajan (CPI-M); and Kunwar Danish Ali (BSP).
Meanwhile, news agency ANI has reported citing sources that the Parliament Ethics Committee has agreed that the charges against TMC MP Mahua Moitra are very serious and the committee will consider them seriously.
Parliament Ethics Committee agrees that the charges against TMC MP Mahua Moitra are very serious and the committee will consider them seriously: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2023
This comes after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra of accepting cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for asking specific questions in Parliament. MP Dubey has filed a formal complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting an investigation into Moitra’s alleged corruption and urging the Speaker to suspend her forthwith.
In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker titled “Re-emergence of nasty ‘Cash for Query’ in Parliament,” Dubey accused the Trinamool Congress MP of “‘serious Breach of Privilege,’ ‘Contempt of the House,’ and a ‘Criminal Offence’ under Section 120A of the IPC.” Dubey said that an Advocate named Jai Anant Dehadrai had presented him with evidence of a bribe.
Dehadrai was once close to Moitra before the “breakup”, and the TMC MP addressed him as a “jilted ex” in one of her statements released after Dubey brought the allegations against her.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee received an affidavit from Darshan Hiranandani last week in which he admitted to “paying” Moitra to pose questions in Parliament on his behalf. The businessman further claimed that the MP gave him her Parliament login credentials so that he could “directly” post inquiries. While MP Mahua Moitra accused the PMO of drafting Hiranandani’s affidavit, she did not deny taking gifts or sharing her Lok Sabha login credentials.
