Published On: Sat, Dec 2nd, 2023

Adhir Ranjan writes to LS Speaker on ethics panel proceedings against Mahua Moitra

Kolkata: In a show of support to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra over the cash-for-query row, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury has written to Speaker Om Birla, calling for a fair investigation into the matter.

It is unclear whether the well-established procedure was followed

He said that if the reported recommendation by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on expelling Moitra over the controversy is indeed followed by the House, it would be an “extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications”.

Moitra has been accused of sharing her Parliament login credentials with Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandai to post questions to be asked in Parliament in return for gifts or favours. The TMC MP has repeatedly refuted the allegations against her, which were first brought to the fore by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, Moitra’s estranged partner. BJP’s Nishikant Dubey later wrote to Om Birla regarding Dehadrai’s allegations, asking for those to be probed.

Dubey had cited the 2005 cash-for-query scandal, in which 10 Lok Sabha members were expelled for receiving cash to ask questions in Parliament.

In his letter, Chowdhury said that according to records, prior to Mahua Moitra’s case, the ethics panel dealt with a miniscule number of cases which mainly pertained to purported acts of deviation from the general norms of conduct with the punitive action recommended being confined to – admonition, reprimand and suspension from the sittings of the House for a specified period.

“The 2005 case as well as the case of HD Mudgal that dates back to 1951 i.e., the days of the Provisional Parliament are fundamentally different not only in regard to the charges involved, but mainly on account of the ‘mode’ or process of examining and reporting and the ‘significance of the evidence’,” Choudhary wrote in the letter.

The Congress leader mentioned that all concerned in the 2005 case, including the media personnel who carried out the sting operation, and members accused of having indulged in acts of misdemeanour were examined on oath, their evidence recorded and made part of the report of the panel. He questioned that it is unclear whether the well-established procedure was followed and a money trail that is irrefutable has been established in the case of the complaint against Mahua Moitra.

“The Dubai-based businessman who purportedly had access to the ‘login credentials’ of Mahua Moitra to the Lok Sabha Portal and was placing questions on her behalf was, as per reports, possibly not called by the committee for deposing.

It is also not clearly known as to why the businessman chose to turn against the member despite his interests apparently being served by way of posing questions by using the login credentials. Accepting gifts and giving gifts, which may appear to be expensive depending on the yardstick applied, is a common social practice, and it would be extremely difficult to link or attribute accepting gifts to being a money trial for deriving favours” Chowdhury wrote.

He mentioned that there were problem areas in the processes followed in investigating and reporting the allegations levelled against the TMC MP.

He wrote that while members have to use the “official portal” for placing questions, secretarial assistance or the help of aides is a necessity for accessing and using the same for daily operations. “Most ‘tech-savvy’ members may find it difficult, if not impossible, to ‘use’ the portal by oneself for placing questions in Parliament,” the Congress leader’s letter read.

Chowdhury urged Om Birla to ensure that members of Lok Sabha do not become susceptible and find themselves on the “wrong side”. He further said that the entire protocol relating to the functioning of the official portal of Lok Sabha must be looked into and reviewed.

The ethics panel report recommending Moitra’s expulsion will be tabled before Lok Sabha on December 4.

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