TMC Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra has announced her intention to appear before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on November 2 regarding the cash-for-query case. However, she has made it clear that she expects to be allowed to cross-examine businessman Darshan Hiranandani, the individual accused of providing her with bribes to ask questions in Parliament.
Moitra has recently been embroiled in a political controversy after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that she accepted bribes from Hiranandani to target the Adani Group. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee initially requested her presence on October 31. Moitra had asked for a hearing date after November 5 due to her prior commitments but was only granted an extension until November 2.
In a letter addressed to the chairperson of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, Moitra expressed her willingness to appear on November 2. However, she questioned whether this committee is the appropriate forum to investigate allegations of alleged criminal activity. She emphasised the lack of criminal jurisdiction within parliamentary committees and stressed the importance of involving law enforcement agencies in such cases.
"In light of the seriousness of the allegations, it is imperative that the alleged 'bribe-giver' Darshan Hiranandani, who has given a 'suo-moto' affidavit to the Committee with scant details and no documentary evidence whatsoever, be called to depose before the Committee and provide the said evidence in the form of a documented itemised inventory with amounts, dates, etc.," she said.
"I wish to place on record that, in keeping with the principles of natural justice, I wish to exercise my right to cross-examine Hiranandani," she said.
Moitra highlighted the seriousness of the allegations and stressed the importance of calling Hiranandani to testify before the committee with documented evidence, ensuring transparency and natural justice. She insisted that an inquiry without permitting her to cross-examine would be incomplete and unfair.
The MP also raised concerns about what she perceived as "double standards" within the Ethics Committee in issuing a summons. She cited the case of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who had a "very serious complaint of hate speech" pending against him with the Privileges and Ethics branch. Bidhuri was summoned on October 10 to provide oral evidence but expressed his inability to depose due to campaign commitments. Moitra noted that no further hearing date has been scheduled for Bidhuri, and she expressed disappointment at the double standards she observed, which she believed had political motives.
She called for objectivity and fairness in addressing individual cases and urged the committee to avoid political partisanship. Moitra also expressed her disappointment that the scheduled hearing coincided with her pre-scheduled Vijaya Dashami events.
