Mahua Moitra claims BJP’s Ram Temple ‘panic’ plan behind expulsion report

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Friday alleged that a ‘nexus’ comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Adani Group was behind the Lok Sabha ethics committee report, which has reportedly recommended her expulsion from the House.

Claiming the Adani Group and PM Modi were attempting to hide what she called a “coal scam”, Mahua Moitra said they were in a state of panic as such an allegation would have “brought down the government” in other countries. She also accused the central government of using the inauguration of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple “as part of this plan”.

In an interview with PTI, Moitra claimed there was no mention of “cash” in the 500-page report adopted by the panel on Thursday. She alleged the panel recommended her expulsion because the Modi-Adani nexus didn’t want to be questioned.

“In the 500 page report, there was no mention of cash, because there isn’t any. Basically, everything is about not questioning. The Modi-Adani nexus is running the government, and because of this, the issue is how not to question… They are in panic. Adani did a coal scam. In any country, this would have brought down the government. Modi in his heart knows this. So they are desperate to keep this hidden as long as possible,” she alleged.

“We are one of the few people who are bringing this up. The entire idea is to shut them up, try and put them in jail, do whatever, keep everything quiet till January 22 when Ram Mandir will come… and the BJP will be riding high again. So this is part of the plan,” she alleged.

Moitra said it was a “badge of honour” that she will become an MP who will be expelled by the ethics panel “unethically”.

“This is a badge of honour that I am the MP that the ethics committee expelled unethically, because it can’t expel someone, it can only suspend. In the report, the complainant couldn’t provide any evidence… Other members of the panel didn’t question me… only the chairman used a filthy line of questioning,” she said.

She questioned why wasn’t businessman Darshan Hiranandani summoned by the panel.

“He is a bribe-giver. He is a person who has bribed a public servant…if it is true, how can he not be called,” she added.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, citing evidence furnished by her former friend Jai Anant Dehadrai, has claimed Moitra accepted cash and gifts in return for asking Darshan Hirandani’s questions in Parliament. He claimed the businessman had access to Moitra’s parliamentary portal account through which he targeted the Adani Group.

Hiranandani, in an affidavit, admitted to having the login credentials of the TMC MP. He also claimed he had showered expensive gifts on Moitra.

In a television interview last month, Moitra said she had provided him with her login credentials to have his staff type out her questions. She rejected the BJP MP’s bribe accusation.

Moitra had asked the panel to allow her to cross-examine Hiranandani and Dehadrai.

Moitra appeared before the panel on November 2. She, however, stormed out of the meeting claiming unethical line of questioning by the panel’s chairperson, BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar. The BJP MP later alleged Moitra had used unparliamentary words for him at the meeting.