Mahua Moitra Says Ethics Panel Has 'No Criminal Jurisdiction', Seeks To 'Cross-examine' Hiranandani, Dehadral

Ahead of her appearance before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee probing the cash-for-query allegations against her, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday shared a copy of the letter written by her to the Parliamentary panel in which she pointed out that it does not have criminal jurisdiction and have no mandate to investigate alleged criminality.

The row began after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging she took bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group. The MP from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar will appear before the panel on November 2.

In the letter to Lok Sabha Ethics Committee Chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Moitra expressed her desire to cross-examine alleged “bribe-giver” businessman Darshan Hiranandani, who submitted an affidavit to the committee “without offering substantial evidence”.

The Lok Sabha MP also sought to cross-examine the complainant, Jai Anant Dehadral, who she claimed provided no documentary evidence to support the charges.

Sharing the letter dated October 31 on X, Moitra said, “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”.

“In light of the seriousness of the allegations, it is imperative that the alleged ‘bribe-giver’ Darshan Hiranandani, who has given a ‘suo-moto’ affidavit to the Committee with scant details and no documentary evidence whatsoever, be called to depose before the Committee and provide the said evidence in the form of a documented itemised inventory with amounts, date etc,” she said.

“I wish to place on record that in keeping with the principles of natural justice I wish to exercise my right to cross-examine Hiranandani,” she stated in the letter.

Moitra highlighted that an inquiry without allowing her the opportunity to cross-examine would be “incomplete and unfair”.

Asserting the absence of a structured Code of Conduct for members, she emphasised the need for objectivity and fairness in addressing individual cases and avoiding political partisanship in the committee.

Moitra also called out “double standards” of the Ethics Committee in issuing a summons. She said the panel has adopted a very different approach in the case of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri who has a “very serious complaint of hate speech” pending against him with the Privileges and Ethics branch. Bidhuri was summoned on October 10 to provide oral evidence but he expressed his inability to depose as he was away campaigning in Rajasthan, she said.

47 Log-ins in Moitra’s Parl Account from Dubai, Allege Sources

PTI Sources privy to the matter alleged that nearly 47 log-ins to her parliamentary account were made from Dubai.

He has accused Moitra of asking questions, which were keyed in through her parliamentary account, at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in return for bribes and favours from the Dubai-based scion of a well-known business family.

Moitra has admitted that she shared her log-in credentials with Hiranandani, whom she has described as a close friend for a long time, but has ruled out any pecuniary motivation and asserted that the questions were always hers.

The third-term BJP MP from Godda in Jharkhand on Wednesday referred to “media reports” that her log-in was opened 47 times from Hiranandani’s place in Dubai and as many questions were asked in Parliament. “If this news is true, then all the MPs of the country should stand against Mahua ji’s corruption. Hiranandani asked questions in Lok Sabha for Hiranandani. Are we MPs for promoting selfish interests of capitalists,” Dubey said on X.

(With PTI inputs)