New Delhi:
Anti-corruption body Lokpal has ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the corruption allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, the BJP’s Nishikant Dubey posted today on X, formerly Twitter. Ms Moitra has been embroiled in cash for query allegations levelled by Mr Dubey, which is under the lens of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he had demanded her immediate suspension from parliament.
“On basis of my complaint, Lokpal has ordered a CBI probe into the Mahua Moitra’s corruption that compromises national security,” read a rough translation of BJP MP’s post.
Nishikant Dubey has alleged that Ms Moitra accepted cash from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in parliament on his behalf to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business rival Adani Group.
He has also claimed that Ms Moitra, by sharing her parliamentary login with the businessman, has compromised national security. In an explosive affidavit, Darshan Hiranandani has admitted to the login sharing, but bypassed the cash for query issue, saying he had given Ms Moitra gifts that she had demanded.
There are allegations that Ms Moitra’s login has been used multiple times from Dubai, where Mr Hiranandani currently resides.
Mahua Moitra has accepted that she shared her login, but claimed the dos and don’ts of that matter has not been shared with the MPs.
Ahead of her hearing with the Ethics Committee, she had written them a letter, mentioning that there is no regulation governing sharing of login and password. “Why were these rules not shared with MPs,” she had questioned in the letter.
The MP had stormed out the meeting, which took place last week, accusing the committee of subjecting her to “proverbial vastraharan (stripping)” in a letter to the Speaker.
The Ethics panel chief — BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar — has focussed on Ms Moitra’s personal relationship with Darshan Hiranandani. There were questions too on Jai Anant Dehadrai, on whose complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation the entire case rests.
The Committee has accused Ms Moitra of non-cooperation. “Mahua Moitra did not cooperate with the committee and the investigation. The Opposition members also made allegations in anger and suddenly walked out of the meeting to avoid answering more questions,” Mr Sonkar said.
