‘How did the affidavit reach media?’: Mahua Moitra slams ethics committee head

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Friday hit out at Lok Sabha ethics commiitee head Vinod Sonkar for ‘openly’ speaking to media before the complaint related to the ‘cash for query’ case is heard, and asked how did the media have access to the affidavit filed by businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the TMC MP pointed out an excerpt from the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha where it is mentioned that the evidence given before the committee shall not be published by any member or anyone else until it has been laid on the table. Moitra further asked for the committee chairman to first of all conduct an enquiry into how the Hiranandani affidavit found its way to the media.

“BJP’s 1 point agenda is to expel me from LS to shut me up on Adani,” she reiterated on the post.

In the affidavit, businessman Hiranandani agreed to have given bribes to Moutra in exchange of getting access to her Parliament login credentials and posing questions in the lower House. He also alleged that the TMC MP saw attacking the Adani Group as a way to become famouse.

The allegations of the breach of parliamentary privilege, criminal conspiracy and contempt of the House by the TMC MP was firsth brought to light by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

Earlier, the ethics committee confirmed that it has received the affidavit and said that it will conduct a comprehensive probe into all the charges. Sonkar, speaking to NDTV, called the allegations serious and added that Hiranandani was asked to be present before the committee.

“The case has gone beyond the prima facie evidence which is why we are examining it,” he said.