TMC MP Mahua Moitra appears before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee in connection to the ‘cash-for-query’ scam

TMC MP Mahua Moitra appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on Thursday in connection to the 'Cash for Query' charges leveled against her. In visuals of her arriving to depose before the committee, the MP can be seen carrying three of her ‘luxury’ bags on her way in.

Moitra had previously requested the Parliamentary body for a date after November 5 owing to her pre-scheduled Vijaya Dashmi programs in her Krishnanagar Constituency. The panel, however, insisted that given the ‘seriousness’ of the accusations raised against her, the body will not entertain requests for another date beyond November 2.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey flagged the "Cash for Query" charges, stating that Moitra had accepted bribes from the Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani, in exchange for posing probing questions about the Adani Group in Parliament, and singling out the Prime Minister. In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, 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 have deposed before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on October 26.

On Wednesday, Moitra posted her letter addressed to the Ethics Committee chairman, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, on the social media platform ‘X’. “Since Ethics Committee deemed it fit to release my summons to the media I think it is important I too release my letter to the Committee before my “hearing” tomorrow.” posted the MP. In addition, the letter questioned the lack of documentary evidence provided by Dehadrai to support the charges; Moitra also expressed her wish to cross-examine the Supreme Court lawyer, citing principles of natural justice.

Moreover, she suggested that the Parliamentary Committee must ask the purported "bribe-giver," Darshan Hiranandani, to produce written documentation of the alleged transactions of the ‘bribes’, including dates and amounts. Moitra also expressed her wish to cross-examine Hiranandani and requested that the committee affirm its decision on cross-examination in writing.

She also urged the committee to summon the suspected "bribe-giver," Darshan Hiranandani, to present written proof of the purported transactions, including dates and amounts. Moitra persisted in her right to cross-examine Hiranandani and requested a written confirmation from the committee of their decision.

Mahua Moitra also expressed her worries about what she considered as ‘double standards’ within the Ethics Committee, drawing parallels between her case to that of BJP MP Ramesh Biduri, who faced a serious hate speech allegation. Insinuating a possible political bias within the committee, she pointed out that Biduri had been summoned but had not shown up, and that no additional hearing date had been set.