Another cash-for-questions scandal has rocked the Indian Parliament eighteen years after 11 MPs were accused of accepting money in exchange for raising questions in the temple of the world's largest democracy. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey has accused Mahua Moitra, the investment banker-turned-Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, of accepting money in exchange for asking issues in Parliament. In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Jharkhand MP accused Mitra of accepting money from businessman Darshan Hirandani in order to ask questions in Parliament and demanded her "immediate suspension."
Mahua Moitra responded to the claims on X (formerly Twitter), saying she welcomes the CBI to investigate her "alleged money laundering after they finish investigating Adani's offshore money trail."
What exactly are Nishikant Dubey's charges against Mahua Moitra?
Nishikant Dubey said in his letter that he received a letter from a lawyer named Jai Anant Dehadrai in which he presented "irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged between Smt Mahua Moitra, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), and Shri Darshan Hiranandani, a well-known business tycoon."
"Smt Moitra asked approximately 50 questions in Parliament, out of total 61, posted by her, which shockingly seek information, with the intent of protecting or perpetuating business interests of Shri Darshan Hiranandani and his Company," Dubey states in his letter. The questioning frequently focused on the Adani Group, another commercial behemoth against whom Hiranandani Group was bidding for contracts."
Nishikant Dubey, a member of the Lok Sabha, has demanded that Mohua Moitra be "immediately suspended from the services of the House so that she may not be able to enter the precincts of the Parliament and does not further attempt to vitiate the sanctity, that is synonymous with Parliament."
What has Mahua Moitra said in response to the allegations?
Mahua Moitra has replied to Dubey's charges about X. "If Adani group is relying on dodgy dossier created by dubious Sanghis & circulated by fake degree wallahs to either shut me up or bring me down, I would advise them not to waste their time," she stated in a series of tweets. Make good use of your lawyers."
The Lok Sabha MP said, "Multiple breaches of privileges pending against fake degreewala and other BJP luminaries." After the Speaker has finished with those, I welcome any moves against me. Also, I'm waiting for the Enforcement Directorate and others to file a FIR in the Adani coal fraud before they come to my house."
"I also welcome a CBI investigation into my alleged money laundering after they complete their investigation into Adani's offshore money trail, over invoicing, and benami accounts." Adani may utilize BJP agencies to outbid competitors and purchase airports, but try doing that with me."
The claims appear to have sparked a full-fledged verbal war on X. "The membership of 11 MPs was canceled by the same Indian Parliament for taking question money, even today theft and swindling will not work, one businessman is bad but another businessman bought 35 pairs of shoes, Hermes, LV, Gucci bag like the soul of Mrs. Marcos, Money will not work through purse, clothes, or cash hawala," Nishikant Dubey wrote on Twitter. Wait, membership will be terminated."
What exactly is the 2005 cash-for-answers scandal?
The BJP member is referring to the 2005 cash-for-questions incident. On December 12, 2005, a news website called Cobrapost published a sting operation that showed the 11 MPs collecting cash in exchange for pressing questions in Parliament. Ten Lok Sabha members and one Rajya Sabha member were expelled from Parliament. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) were among those elected.
After hearing the MPs' challenge, the Supreme Court affirmed the Parliament's decision to expel them in January 2007.
0 Comments