BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who accused Trinamul Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra of “asking questions in the Lok Sabha in exchange for cash and gifts,” on Sunday hit out at her, stating that she has time for media interviews but not for appearing before the Parliament’s Ethics Committee, which initially summoned her on October 31.
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on Saturday asked Moitra to appear before it on November 2 in connection with the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ scandal. The new date was communicated to Moitra after she sought more time to appear before the panel after having been told to give her oral evidence in the matter on October 31. Moitra has been given till October 31 to confirm her appearance.
In response to Moitra’s media interviews, Dubey said he refrained from speaking to the media to maintain the dignity of the Parliament.
“I appeal to all respected colleagues in the media to understand that the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is investigating the issue of accepting money and compromising national security. What the committee has received is confidential. The accused does not have time to appear before the committee, but there is ample time to give interviews in the media. I have not given any interviews to the media on this matter to date; it concerns the dignity of Parliament,” Dubey said in a post on X.
Referring to businessman Darshan Hiranandani’s affidavit in his post on X on Sunday, the BJP MP also said Hiranandani acknowledged his close relationship with TMC MP.
He claimed to have fulfilled various demands of Moitra, such as covering travel expenses, providing holidays, renovating her officially allocated bungalow in Delhi, and gifting her expensive luxury items.
“The accused MP’s friend, Hiranandani Ji, is the one who mentioned in the affidavit about arranging their foreign trips, accommodation, providing valuable items, and giving cash for travelling expenses. We should wait for the committee’s report. This is not a matter of party, opposition, gender, but concerns national security, corruption, the dignity of Parliament, and the conduct and behaviour of us MPs. Please allow Parliament to make the decision,” Dubey wrote in his post.
Meanwhile, Moitra on Saturday debunked the allegations levelled against her, and said that there has been no evidence by the BJP to back the ‘fake allegation’.
“First BJP said ‘Cash for Questions’. That failed since no evidence to back the fake allegation. Now it is National Security,” said Moitra in a post on X.