Mahua Moitra calls BJP MP ‘Farji Dubey’, seeks probe in 2022 airport ATC case
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday lashed out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey, who has accused her of taking bribes from industrialist Darshan Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament.
Dubey on his X handle shared a screenshot of the letter written by Union information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. In the letter, the minister promised Dubey that the National Informatics Centre will fully cooperate with the Lok Sabha committee on ethics. The NIC is probing allegations of Moitra’s parliament login credentials been accessed in Dubai.
While reacting to Vaishnaw’s letter, Moitra posted on X,”Amused to hear of @AshwiniVaishnaw letter to Fake Degree Wala promising support in “probe” against me! Still waiting for @HMOIndia & @Ministry_CA to probe Farji Dubey’s illegal entry into airport ATC room last year with kids!”
Moitra added,”Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including “Dubai” logins to probe agency. Now @AshwiniVaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm. BJP welcome to do hit job on me but Adani+Godda perhaps not best strategists!”
The allegations against Moitra were supported by Hiranandani, who in a signed affidavit claimed he did give information to the TMC leader on the basis of which she could ask questions on Adani Group. The industrialist also claimed to have given her expensive gifts and underwriting the renovation of her official bungalow. He also claimed that Moitra gave her parliament login details so that he could post questions directly on her behalf.
2022: Dubey booked for ‘barging’ into Deoghar airport ATC
Moitra was referring to a 2022 case involving Dubey at Jharkhand’s Deoghar airport. On August 31 last year, he and fellow MP Manoj Tiwari were among nine people booked for allegedly barging into the Air Traffic Control (ATC) area and forcibly got clearance past sunset, even though the airport is yet to be cleared for night operations.
The incident took place when the nine people were on their way back to Delhi after meeting the family members of a minor girl who was burnt alive in Dumka.
Moitra had then taken a dig at Dubey on X, saying,”I know BJP’s SOP for bringing down opposition state governments involves chartered planes but does it now also include barging into ATC Control Rooms? Just asking”.
Deoghar’s deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri had claimed that the BJP leaders had reached the airport which was not yet fully functional, on a chartered plane and allegedly entered the ATC room. The pilot of the aircraft was allegedly pressurised for clearance though night landing is not allowed at the airport.
The Delhi Police later filed a zero FIR against Bhajantri on the charge of sedition and under the Official Secrets Act following BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s complaint.