New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday alleged that attempts are being made to influence the witness amid the ‘Cash-for-Query’ row and urged the Lok Sabha speaker to take action.

“According to the information, Darshan Hiranandani and Dubai Didi (MP Mahua Moitra) are in touch. An attempt is being made to influence the witness @loksabhaspeaker to take action,” Nishikant Dubey said in a post on X.

Further, comparing TMC MP Mahua Moitra with former Congress MP Raja Ram Pal amid the ‘Cash-for-Query ‘row, the BJP MP said that the former was poor while Moitra was “friends with the rich”.

“There is a similarity between Mahua ji and Raja Ram Pal ji, who asked questions about money and was expelled from Parliament during the Congress rule in 2005. Pal ji was fighting against corruption of Reliance, hence he was expelled, Mahua ji Adani. Is this why you are fighting?” the BJP MP said in a post in Hindi on X.

सूचना के अनुसार दर्शन हीरानंदानी व दुबई दीदी( सांसद) सम्पर्क में हैं । गवाह को प्रभावित करने की कोशिश चल रही है @loksabhaspeaker को कारवाई करनी चाहिए

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) October 28, 2023

Sharing a link that includes a letter dated back to December 2005, which was written by Raja Ram Pal to the Prime Minister’s Office about the corrupt practices of the then Power Ministry officials, Nishikant Dubey, who initially levelled the cash-for-query allegation against the TMC MP, urged everyone to read the letter to “know the nature of Mahua” and named her a “thief”.

“Read Raja Ram Pal ji’s letter and compare that with Mahua’s nature and signature. The BSP Member of Parliament Raja Ram Pal was regularly writing to the Prime Minister….Raja Ram Pal ji speaks Hindi, is poor. She is a thief, Mahua ji speaks English, she is friends with the rich, is she honest?” he added.

Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra has sought more time to appear before the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha. She has been summoned to appear on October 31 over allegations against her in the ‘Cash-for-Query’ scandal.

The TMC MP also sought to question the businessman at the centre of the alleged scandal, Darshan Hiranandani.

“It is imperative that I am allowed my right to cross examine Hiranandani, it is also imperative that he appear before the committee and provide a detailed verified list of alleged gifts and favours he allegedly provide to me” she said in her letter to Vinod Sonkar, Chairman of the Parliament Ethics Committee.

On Thursday, Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee to submit oral evidence on their allegations.

The BJP MP earlier wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, alleging the involvement of Mahua Moitra in the ‘cash for query’ scandal.

He claimed that he held evidence as shared by Advocate Dehadrai, which allegedly corroborates the charges against the TMC MP.

In response to Dubey’s letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Trinamool MP had said she would welcome a probe by the Speaker after he had dealt with alleged breaches of privilege by other BJP MPs.

New Delhi:

Mahua Moitra’s login and travel details have been sought by the parliamentary Ethics Committee, which is inquiring into complaints of “cash for query” against the Trinamool Congress MP and held its first hearing on Thursday.

The Ethics Committee has written to the Union IT and Home ministries for details of Mahua Moitra’s logins and locations to try and verify allegations that she allowed businessman Darshan Hiranandani to access her parliamentary login to post questions directly for Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha MP has been accused of taking money to ask questions in parliament, on behalf of the businessman, allegedly designed to target the government and the Adani Group.

The panel has also written to the Ministry of External Affairs to check if an affidavit by Darshan Hiranandani, who is based in Dubai, is ratified.

In the affidavit, Mr Hiranandani had alleged that Mahua Moitra shared her Lok Sabha e-mail ID so he could send her information targeting the Adani Group and she could raise questions in parliament. He claimed she later gave him the login so he could post directly.

The panel has said it will call “no more witnesses” after hearing Mahua Moitra, and submit its report in the beginning of November.

In a nearly three-hour hearing yesterday, the committee heard BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and discussed every aspect of the allegations they have made against the Trinamool MP.

Nishikant Dubey had first written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to start the inquiry, following Mr Dehadrai’s complaint to the Supreme Court.

Mr Dehradai, whom Ms Moitra called a “jilted ex”, claims “irrefutable evidence” of Darshan Hiranandani giving the Trinamool leader bribes to ask questions critical of the Adani Group.

Ms Moitra has denied all allegations and said that she is ready to answer questions from the committee.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

New Delhi:

In a marked escalation of the Mohua Moitra “cash-for-query” controversy, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has written to the Lokpal and sought an investigation into the Trinamool Congress MP’s actions. 

In his complaint to the anti-corruption authority, Mr Dubey has said he is in possession of a letter by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai which laid out “disturbing facts with detailed proof” against Ms Moitra. 

“In the letter, Mr. Dehadrai provides in great detail how, when and where Ms. Moitra received bribes from a businessman Sh. Darshan Hiraanandani. The said letter clearly mentions how Ms. Mahua Moitra has received Rs 2 crore in cash from Darshan Hiranandani both in Indian currency and foreign currency for asking questions in parliament,” the complaint states. 

“It also mentions that Sh. Darshan Hiranandani had direct access of Ms. Mahua Moitra’s Lok Sabha login credentials and the same has been used by Sh. Darshan Hiranandani while Ms. Mahua Moitra was travelling abroad,” it added.

Mr Dubey said Mr Dehadrai’s letter states how the TMC MP, by posting “questions in parliament in lieu of cash” has furthered the personal agenda of profit and business rivalry of Mr Hiranandani, including questions related to a specific legal issue involving $60 million pertaining to an undisclosed off-shore asset trust and other transactions. 

The complaint claimed that, in an affidavit dated October 20, Mr Hiranandani has “unequivocally and in absolute terms admitted to have met various illegal demands of Ms Moitra”, including gifting various expensive items.

“In the light of the aforesaid, it is established that Ms. Mahua Moitra indulged in corrupt practices including, but not limited to, taking bribes from the aforesaid businessman for compromising her parliamentary privileges and causing national security threats by sharing her login credentials of Lok Sabha,” Mr Dubey said. 

‘Acquired Wealth By Corrupt Means’

Mr Dubey claimed that the letter by Mr Dehadrai and the affidavit by Mr Hiranandani left no “iota of doubt that Ms Moitra is engaged in rampant corruption and has acquired wealth by corrupt means and practice”. 

“She has been accepting huge sums of money as illegal gratification and, thus, it is a clear case of misuse of public office and criminal misconduct. By misusing her offices and position as an MP, Ms. Mahua Moitra has obtained valuable properties and thus squarely falls under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act,” the complaint stated.

Mr Dubey alleged the Trinamool MP had committed criminal offences not only under the Prevention of Corruption Act but also under the Indian Penal Code and requested the Lokpal to conduct an investigation. 

‘Mortgaged Country’s Security’

Earlier in the day, Mr Dubey had alleged that the TMC MP had mortgaged the country’s security for money and claimed that her parliamentary ID was used in Dubai when she was in India. 

Mr Dubey, who had filed the complaint against Ms Moitra before the Lok Sabha Speaker, accusing her of taking bribes for asking questions in Parliament, alleged that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has informed an investigating agency that her ID was used in Dubai when she was in India. 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, in Hindi, Mr Dubey wrote in Hindi, “An MP mortgaged the country’s security for some money. The parliament ID was opened in Dubai when the so-called MP was in India. The entire Indian government, the Prime Minister of the country, the finance department, the central agencies are on this NIC.”

Ms Moitra has denied the allegations and said she is ready to face questions from the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

New Delhi:

The Mahua Moitra-Darshan Hiranandani affidavit controversy escalated on Saturday with both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress MP firing salvos at each other. While MP Nishikant Dubey of the BJP alleged the TMC MP had mortgaged the country’s security for money, claiming that her parliamentary ID was used in Dubai when she was in India, Ms Moitra hit back and accused the MP of leaking information.

Mr Dubey, who had filed the complaint against Ms Moitra before the Lok Sabha Speaker, accusing her of taking bribes for asking questions in Parliament, alleged on Saturday that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has informed an investigating agency that her ID was used in Dubai when she was in India. 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, in Hindi, Mr Dubey wrote in Hindi, “An MP mortgaged the country’s security for some money. The parliament ID was opened in Dubai when the so-called MP was in India. The entire Indian government, the Prime Minister of the country, the finance department, the central agencies are on this NIC.”

“Do @AITCofficial and the opposition still want to do politics? It is the public’s decision. NIC has given this information to the investigating agency,” he added, without taking Ms Moitra’s name or disclosing which agency the information had been given to.

Countering Mr Dubey’s claims, the TMC MP asked the NIC to release details publicly and show that MPs were physically present in places from where their IDs were accessed by their personal assistants, researchers, interns and staff members. 

In his affidavit, businessman Darshan Hiranandani had claimed that Ms Moitra had given him her parliament login ID to frame questions on the Adani group, which she felt was the “only way” to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The businessman claimed Ms Moitra wanted to quickly make a name for herself at the national level and she was told by her friends and advisors that the shortest possible route to fame was by personally attacking PM Modi.

He said the TMC MP made frequent demands and kept asking him for various favours. This included gifting her expensive luxury items, providing support on the renovation of her officially allotted bungalow in Delhi, travel expenses and holidays.

Ms Moitra has denied the allegations and said she is ready to face questions from the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee, which is looking into Mr Dubey’s complaint.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha ethics committee today said it has received the affidavit by industrialist Darshan Hiranandani alleging that he bribed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to ask questions in the Parliament and will conduct a comprehensive probe into all the charges.

In his affidavit, Mr Hiranandani claimed that he gave bribes to Ms Moitra to get her Parliament login credentials and ask questions in the house. He also claimed she saw attacking the Adani Group as a way to become famous.

BJP’s Nishikant Dubey brought forth the allegations in front of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accusing the Trinamool leader of breach of parliamentary privilege, contempt of the House, and criminal conspiracy.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, head of the ethics committee Vinod Sonkar said, “We have received Darshan Hiranandani’s affidavit. The committee will hear Mr Dubey’s complaint on October 26. He has been asked to present evidence in front of the committee.”

Calling the allegations very serious, Mr Sonkar said that the committee will first examine Mr Dubey’s letter and Mr Hiranandani’s affidavit. We will then also hear Ms Moitra’s version, who has vehemently denied the charges and said she is prepared for any inquiry.

“The allegations are very serious. The case has gone beyond the prima facie evidence which is why we are examining it,” Mr Sonkar said.

Ms Moitra, the Lok Sabha MP representing Krishnanagar in West Bengal, has sought a permanent injunction against Mr Dubey, Mr Dehadrai, social media platform X, search engine Google, and YouTube and to restrain them from making, publishing, and circulating per se defamatory, ex facie false and malicious statements against her.