Parliamentary Panel Delays Adoption Of Draft Report In Cash-For-Query Probe Against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra

The news relates to the parliamentary panel investigating allegations of "cash for query" against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. This panel, led by Vinod Kumar Sonkar, will now meet on November 9 to adopt its draft report, which was originally scheduled for November 7.

The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee is responsible for finalizing the draft report after completing its inquiry into the charges against Mahua Moitra. These allegations were made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. Once the report is prepared, the committee will recommend appropriate actions to be taken in response to the matter.

During the last committee meeting on November 2, tensions flared as Mahua Moitra, who had appeared before the panel for her deposition, walked out in protest. She claimed that the proceedings during the meeting amounted to a "proverbial vastraharan" or disrobing.

Notably, the BJP members hold a majority on the 15-member ethics panel, and they are likely to take a stern view of the charges against Mahua Moitra, especially in light of her allegations against Vinod Kumar Sonkar, accusing him of asking intrusive and personal questions. This led to her abrupt exit from the meeting, along with opposition members.

The case revolves around allegations made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who accused Mahua Moitra of raising questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group, purportedly at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani, in exchange for bribes. Dubey claimed that Hiranandani used Moitra's login credentials to submit questions from different locations, primarily Dubai.

In response, Moitra admitted to the use of her login details but denied any involvement in corrupt practices, asserting that many MPs share their login credentials with others. The parliamentary panel's forthcoming draft report and recommendations will play a crucial role in addressing these allegations.