Instead of giving answers, she got angry...: Ethics panel chairperson on walkout

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Ethics Committee Chairperson Vinod Sonkar on Thursday said that "unparliamentary language" was used by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra against him and other members during cross-examination following her deposition before the panel over "cash-for-query" allegations levelled against her by BJP Nishikant Dubey. He also said that the committee will sit and decide further action.

Moitra appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee over cash-for-query allegations against her on Thursday. She and opposition members of the panel "walked out" of the meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Opposition members raised questions over the line of questioning and alleged that "personal questions" were posed to the Trinamool Congress MP. Among those who walked out were BSP MP Danish Ali, Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy. Sonkar rejected the allegations of opposition members. "Instead of giving answers, she (Mahua Moitra) got angry and used unparliamentary language for the Chairperson, and Committee members. Danish Ali, Girdhari Yadav and other opposition MPs tried to accuse the committee and walked out.. The committee will sit and discuss," he said.

Moitra is facing 'Cash for Query' charges made by Dubey, who alleged that the Trinamool MP had taken bribes from Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani to raise questions in Parliament to target the Adani Group. Dubey had written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last month titled "Re-emergence of nasty 'Cash for Query' in Parliament", seeking a probe into his allegations.

He also claimed that Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai had provided him with proof of alleged bribes. Both Dubey and Jai Dehadrai have appeared before the Ethics Committee. Sonkar said that "unethical words" were uttered during the meeting of the panel on Thursday and attempt was made to make allegations against the panel.

He said there was walk out to escape questions related to affidavit submitted by Hiranandani. The Ethics Committee chief rejected allegations that "personal questions" were asked. "Only related questions (were asked)...., this is an attempt to escape the allegations," he said.

BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi hit out at Moitra walking out of the Parliament Ethics Committee meeting and accused opposition MPs of creating ruckus. "The proceedings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee are confidential by nature. So the very thing that she (Mahua Moitra) did was wrong. They all came out and they all said things about the committee, about the goings on within the committee, it was wrong. She should not have done that. These things are very confidential," Sarangi said.

"The conduct of Mahua Moitra was condemnable. She used unparliamentary words for our chairman and for all the members of the committee. So, the chairperson of the Committee was asking questions regarding the contents of the affidavit by Hiranandani and she did not want to answer them. And then they created a ruckus," she added.

Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was among opposition MPs who staged a walkout, accused the BJP of trying to target Moitra. "The BJP bigwigs and the top guys in the government must be targeting her (Mahua Moitra) because she is continuously exposing Adani. We feel it's not a good thing in parliamentary democracy to target an MP that to a very talented woman MP, a very good speaker, just because she opposes you on some issues. So we have been raising our stand both inside and outside the Parliament Ethics Committee and all of us opposition MPs felt that in the cross-examination there was persistent objectionable, undignified questioning. So Mahua Moitra and the five opposition MPs decided that it is not fair and we walked out of the meeting," Reddy told ANI.

The Congress leader countered BJP members and said he had "not heard any unparliamentary language" from Mahua Moitra. "Whatever Nishiknath Dubey has said is completely wrong. Probably BJP is using him as a point man to target Mahua. Because Mahua pointed out that he has been quoting false educational qualifications in his nomination papers and otherwise too. So Nishikant Dubey's statement on her, you can't take it for granted because they have in the past made complaints against each other. So he may be targeting her. It's totally a false issue," he said.

Moitra appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee over cash-for-query allegations against her. She and opposition members of the panel "walked out" of the meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Opposition members raised questions over the line of questioning and alleged that "personal questions" were posed to the Trinamool Congress MP. Among those who walked out were BSP MP Danish Ali, Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy. "They asked personal questions to the woman (Mahua Moitra). They do not have the right to ask personal questions, so we walked out," Giridhari Yadav later said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that there was no reply to their queries about the BJP MP, who made the complaint, "having some information" which is supposed to come to the panel. "The whole line of questions it seems that he's (Parliament Ethics Committee Chairman) acting on somebody's behest. It is very, very bad. For two days we have been asking him some things. They are asking her (Mahua Moitra) where are you travelling? Where are you meeting? Can you give us your phone records? There is no evidence of any cash transfer," he said.

Moitra appeared before the Ethics Committee in connection with the alleged 'Cash for Query' charge against her on Thursday morning. Sources said Moitra gave her statement and she was to be cross-examined by the members on the basis of complaint made by Dubey and Advocate Jai Dehadrai. Moitra had earlier in a letter to the ethics panel requested for a summons date after November 5 citing pre-scheduled Vijaya Dashmi programmes.

The panel, however, asked her to appear on November 2. Moitra is facing 'Cash for Query' charges made by Dubey, who alleged that the Trinamool MP had taken bribes from Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani to raise questions in Parliament to target the Adani Group. On Wednesday, Moitra made public her letter to the Ethics Committee chairman.

Posting a two-page letter on her X handle, Moitra said, "Since the Ethics Committee deemed it fit to release my summons to the media I think it is important I too release my letter to the Committee before my hearing. In her letter, Moitra alleged that advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai "had provided no documentary evidence to back his allegations in either his written complaint and neither could he provide any evidence in his oral hearing." "In keeping with the principles of natural justice I wish to exercise my right to cross-examine Dehadrai," she wrote in her letter to the Committee."