Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday stormed out of a meeting of the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha, which is looking into the 'cash for query' case against her, over "unethical" questions.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Moitra of taking bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in lieu of asking questions in the Parliament. The complaint is based on the basis of evidence provided by Supreme Court lawyer and Moitra's estranged partner Jai Anant Dehadrai.
The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha had summoned Moitra on Thursday to question her over the complaint. Citing "unethical" questions, she and the Opposition members on the panel walked out of the meeting.
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On their part, the Ethics Committee Chairperson Vinod Sonkar said she did not answer the questions and used "unparliamentary language" against him and the members of the committee.
"The objective was to look into the allegations against unethical conduct of Mahua Moitra in a detailed manner. Instead of supporting in it, she got angry and used unparliamentary language for the members and chairman of the committee. Also, the other members of the Opposition, whether Danish Ali, Girdhari Yadav, or Reddy, in a very unethical manner accused the committee and they walked out to escape from the questions over Hiranandani ji's complaint," said Sonkar in Hindi.
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What happened at the hearing today?
Besides Moitra, other members of the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha also walked out of the meeting.
Congress MP and committee member N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the questions of Chairman Sonkar were "undignified and unethical".
It has been reported that the Opposition members of the committee also questioned the manner in which the meeting was conducted. The committee continued with its deliberations even after the protest.
About today's meeting
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Moitra on Thursday pleaded innocence to the allegations levelled against her.
Moitra further asserted that the charge is motivated by the animus of advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai after she broke her personal relations with him, sources said.
She found support from some opposition MPs, including Reddy and Danish Ali of the BSP, in the meeting while a few BJP members, including V D Sharma, wanted her to respond to the substantive part of the allegations and not make it all about personal relationship going bad.
Sources said a large part of her deposition before the ethics committee was about her relationship with Dehadrai as she appeared to blame him for leaks and the allegations.
Moitra has been accused 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.
