Trinamool Congress’ first-time MP Mahua Moitra is set to get disqualified if the report by the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha on the ‘cash-for-query’ scam gets adopted in the House on Friday during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Moitra along with other Opposition leaders will get to debate on the report before the government moves the motion against her expulsion.
The report by the ethics panel will be taken up after 12 pm today.
BJP MP had alleged that Moitra had taken bribes from a businessman for asking questions in Parliament. Moitra, a member of Lok Sabha representing Krishnanagar in West Bengal, sought permanent injunction and damages against Dubey, advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, social media platform X, search engine Google, YouTube and 15 media houses and to restrain them from making, publishing, circulating per se defamatory, ex facie false and malicious statements against her.
In fact, Darshan Hiranandani, son of real estate billionaire Niranjan Hiranandani, turned approver in the case and claimed that he used Moitra’s Parliamentary login to ask questions from the central government.
Moitra’s Journey Through the Case
December 5: The Delhi High Court notifies that it will hear a defamation case filed by TMC MP Moitra on December 11.
November 9: The ethics committee adopted the report recommending the TMC lawmaker’s expulsion, by a margin of 6-4, for sharing her login credentials and password with an unauthorised person.
As per sources, the draft report reveals that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times.
Moitra wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla on the same day, alleging that the draft report was published in the news media.
October 19: Darshan Hiranandani said he used the Rajya Sabha MP’s Parliamentary login to ask questions from the government. Darshan said he met Moitra on several occasions and they used to communicate frequently, ranging from weekly to daily calls”.
Darshan also said the TMC leader sought various favours from him. However, Moitra rejected the businessman’s claims, saying the government put a gun to his head and threatened to shut down his businesses.
October 17: Mahua Moitra approached the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, an advocate and several social media platforms and media houses from posting, circulating or publishing any alleged fake and defamatory content against her.
October 15: BJP MP Dubey submitted a complaint against Moitra to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and demanded an inquiry committee and seeking her immediate suspension from Parliament.
In his complaint, Dubey cited a detailed complaint by a Supreme Court advocate, Jai Anant Dehadrai, which he has received.
Dubey and Dehadrai alleged she purportedly asked questions in Parliament in exchange for gifts and cash from a businessman, and targeted the Prime Minister and home minister in an attempt to link them to another corporate.
After the BJP MP’s complaint, Moitra posted several messages on X to hit back at Dubey without directly naming him.
Dubey also wrote to Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting him to investigate the “IP Address” of Moitra’s “Lok Sabha login credentials”.
Speculation begins on social media, including X (formerly Twitter), as to whether the dog, a Rottweiler, seen in various pictures of Moitra is the same as the one seen in pictures posted by Advocate Dehadrai on X.
October 14: Supreme Court advocate, Jai Anant Dehadrai, sent his complaint to the CBI, asking for lodging of an FIR on charges of corruption and money laundering. Dehadrai has submitted a copy of his complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker as well.
Source: News18