“Filthy questions.....”, TMC MP lashes out at the LS Ethics Committee; “conduct of Mahua Moitra was condemnable” alleges the probe panel

TMC MP Mahua Moitra along with several other Opposition MPs ‘walked out’ of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee meeting on the alleged ‘cash-for-query’ charges, on Thursday. Earlier during the day, Moitra had appeared before the Parliamentary body probing into the charges levelled her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. A visibly livid Moitra stormed out of the meeting, closely followed by the other MPs, she alleged that ‘filthy questions’ were asked to her during the examination.

The TMC MP and other MP of the Opposition question the way the proceedings of the meeting were carried out. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee in turn has alleged that Mahua Moitra ‘got angry and did not cooperate’ with them.

“What kind of meeting was this? They are asking all kinds of filthy questions. They are picking on anything, and are talking rubbish" said the visibly angry TMC MP, after she stormed out of the meeting. As she was walking out, she chided at a reporter who had asked her if she had ‘tears in her eyes.’ “Rubbish, see my eyes, are there tears in it? What are you talking about?” retorted Moitra.

The Opposition MPs have backed Moitra’s claims and have stated that the questions that were asked were ‘inappropriate’ for a female MP. “We kept telling them not to do it like this. When they were questioning the lady MP, we told them to not take this line of questioning. What dates are you travelling? Who are you travelling with? Where are you staying?” said INC MP Uttam Kumar Reddy. The Opposition MPs who walked out with the TMC MP include BSP MP Danish Ali, Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Janta Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav.

The Ethics Committee Chairperson Vinod Sonkar stated that Mahua Moitra did not cooperate with the panel, and that she stormed out of the meeting to avoid any further questioning on the issue. "Instead of giving answers, she (Mahua Moitra) got angry and used unparliamentary language for the Chairperson, and Committee members. Danish Ali, Girdhari Yadav and other opposition MPs tried to accuse the committee and walked out... The committee will sit and decide the further action,” said Vinod Sonkar. Another member of the Ethics Committee probe panel, Aparajita Sarangi said, “The conduct of Mahua Moitra was condemnable. She used unparliamentary words for our chairman and for all the members of the committee. So, the chairperson of the Committee was asking questions regarding the contents of the affidavit by Hiranandani and she did not want to answer them. And then they created a ruckus.”

Launching a scathing attack on the TMC MP’s conduct at the Ethics Committee Examination, the complainant BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, “No power in the world can save Mahua Moitra. As a parliamentarian, we are sad that we are part of a Parliament where people take money to ask questions.” The Godda MP further alleged that Moitra tried to set a wrong public narrative, and called today the ‘darkest day in parliamentary politics.’

Nishikant Dubey alleged that TMC’s Mahua Moitra had taken bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for posing questions in the House. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Dubey further claimed that the TMC MP had shared her official login credentials with the Dubai-based businessman, and accepted bribes from him in exchange for singling out Prime Minister Narendra Modi by asking questions about the Adani Group in Parliament. Dubey requested a probe into the aforementioned charges against the TMC MP, claiming that Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai had presented him with evidence of the alleged bribes. Both Dehadrai and Dubey had deposed before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on October 26.