dailyO
News

Mahua Moitra's cash-for-query row: What you need to know

Advertisement
Sweta Gupta
Sweta GuptaOct 20, 2023 | 18:02

Mahua Moitra's cash-for-query row: What you need to know

Mahua Moitra is Grabbing Headlines Everywhere

A significant dispute erupted when MP Nishikant Dubey accused fellow politician Mahua Moitra of accepting money and gifts in exchange for posing questions in Parliament.

He has called for her suspension and an investigation into the matter.

Moitra has stated her willingness to be investigated but has also highlighted certain issues concerning Dubey himself.

Advertisement

She has vehemently denied the accusations, citing the lack of evidence to support Dubey's claims.

Dubey alleged that a lawyer provided him with information indicating the exchange of bribes between Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

Moitra's frequent inquiries about the Adani Group in Parliament, a company she has criticized in the past, have fueled the ongoing controversy.

The scenario resembles a real-life political drama

Who is Mahua Moitra?

  • Mahua Moitra is an Indian politician and an investment banker who is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha representing Krishnanagar. 
  • She won her seat in the 2019 Indian general election as a candidate from the All India Trinamool Congress party.
  • She received praise for her passionate first speech in the Lok Sabha. 
  • In her speech during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, she warned that she sees signs of India heading toward fascism and that the country is being divided.
Advertisement

 

So, what is the 'Cash for Query' drama?

  • The controversy centers around the accusation by Nishikant Dubey that Mahua Moitra accepted monetary compensation and incentives in exchange for raising specific questions in Parliament.
  • Darshan Hiranandani, an industrialist, supported Dubey's allegations, asserting that he provided money to Moitra for leveraging her parliamentary access.

  • Allegations of Moitra targeting the Adani Group solely for publicity have also surfaced.
  • Nishikant Dubey from the BJP told the Lok Sabha Speaker about these allegations, accusing Moitra of breaking the rules in Parliament and even a possible crime.
  • Jai Anant Dehadrai, a lawyer, presented evidence corroborating the accusations against Moitra, claiming that her senior counsel requested the withdrawal of a complaint to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation).
  • Moitra sends a legal notice to Dubey and Jai Anant Dehadrai, claiming that their allegations are damaging her reputation.
  • Mahua Moitra's case about being defamed over 'cash-for-query' allegations was supposed to be heard on October 31 in the Delhi High Court.
  • But her lawyer withdrew from the case, saying there was a 'conflict of interest.'
  • It happened after Jai Anant Dehadrai told the court that Moitra's lawyer, Gopal Sankarnarayan, contacted him to withdraw the complaint to the CBI against Moitra.
Advertisement
  • Moitra and Dehadrai have been having issues, and she calls him a "jilted ex."
  • They've been fighting about their pet dog, Rottweiler Henry, and Moitra has filed several complaints against Dehadrai in the last six months, including trespassing, theft, and abusive messages.
  • Mahua Moitra responded to businessman Darshan Hiranandani's affidavit.
  • She questioned the credibility of the affidavit, saying it was on plain paper with no official letterhead, and it only got known through a press leak.
  • Vinod Sonkar, the Chairman of the Ethics Committee of Parliament, mentioned that he hadn't received Hiranandani's letter regarding Moitra's cash-for-query case.
  • He emphasized that it's a serious issue and the committee would look into it. They have asked the parties involved to provide evidence.

So, there are allegations that Moitra took money and asked certain questions in Parliament, and this has become a big issue known as the 'cash for query' controversy.

Last updated: October 20, 2023 | 18:02
IN THIS STORY
    Please log in
    I agree with DailyO's privacy policy