Moitra making accusations to deflect attention, says LS Ethics Committee Chairman

New Delhi: Defending the Ethics Committee of the Parliament against the accusations of the Opposition leaders, Chairman Vinod Sonkar said that Mahua Moitra was making such accusations to deflect attention. The BJP also deployed MPs Nishikant Dubey and Aparajita Sarangi to defend the Committee.

Speaking to reporters outside of the Committee’s hearing at the Parliament Annexe building after Opposition leaders including Moitra, Congress’s Uttam Reddy and Danish Ali of the BSP walked out saying that Moitra was asked inappropriate questions, Sonkar denied the allegations and said that it was Moitra who misbehaved.

“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 decide the further action..."

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that the questions only sought to find out if there was misappropriation of wealth. He said that the Committee asked questions on her spending on expensive items such as Bobbi Brown lipsticks, Gucci shades and Louis Vuitton luxury bags. Such questions, Nishikant said, did not violate her dignity.

“She was also asked questions on allegations of Darshan Hiranandani, about her expenses on her foreign travels. There’s no power that can save Mahua Moitra now,” Dubey asserted.

Dubey alleged that the Opposition leaders “could not digest” the fact that Sonkar, who hails from the OBC community, heads the Committee.

“I and (Jai) Dehadrai went there as witnesses (on October 26) and Mahua Moitra went as an accused. But she gave interviews and quoted what happened inside the committee of ethics. She tried to set a wrong narrative in the public. What happened today is the darkest day of parliamentary history,” he said.

On Wednesday, Mahua deposed for the first time in front of the Committee on a complaint filed by Dubey on allegations that Moitra shared her parliament login ID to Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and PM Modi. The complaint was based on allegations made by Dehaderai, Moitra’s former partner. While Moitra has refuted the charges, Hiranandani, in an affidavit, said that he had access to her login credentials. Dubey has alleged that logins were done from Dubai and in all Moitra has asked 37 questions.