Ethics panel report on Mahua Moitra tabled in Lok Sabha | What’s happened so far

In an affidavit to the Ethics Committee on October 19, Hiranandani claimed that Moitra provided him her Parliament login ID and password so that he could “post questions” directly “on her behalf when required”.

Here’s a round-up of what has happened so far

1. 01

   BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accuses Mahua Moitra of 'cash for query'

   BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on October 15 wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took bribes for raising questions in Parliament to “protect the interest of a business group”. He urged the Speaker to set up a committee to probe the allegations and sought her suspension from the House till the panel submitted its report.

   Dismissing his charges, Moitra said the Speaker should first probe the “multiple breach of privileges pending against Dubey and other BJP leaders” before initiating any motion against her.

2. 02

   Hiranandani files affidavit to the Ethics Committee

   On October 19, Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of the Hiranandani Group, in an affidavit to the Ethics Committee, also claimed that Moitra provided him her Parliament login and password so that he could “post the questions” directly “on her behalf when required”.

   In a three-page affidavit submitted to the committee and released to the press by the Hiranandani Group’s corporate communication team, Darshan Hiranandani, who lives in Dubai, said Moitra “thought that the only way to attack Sh. Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) is by attacking Sh. Gautam Adani and his group as both were contemporaries, and they belong to the same state of Gujarat.”

   Dubey also lodged a complaint against Moitra with the Lokpal.

3. 03

   Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai appear before ethics panel

   The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee began examining the cash-for-query allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra. During the Committee meeting which lasted more than two hours, the committee heard BJP MP Nishikant Dubey who had complained against Moitra and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai.

   BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had written two letters — one to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, claiming there were allegations that Moitra took bribes to protect the interest of the Hiranandani Group; and the other to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging him to investigate the IP addresses of Moitra’s log-in credentials for Lok Sabha to check if they had been accessed by someone else.

   Committee chairman and BJP MP Vinod Sonkar later told reporters that Moitra had been asked to appear before the panel on October 31.

4. 04

   TMC leader requests for any date after November 5

   TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a letter to the Committee chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar requested for any date after November 5 given her pre-scheduled Vijaya Dashmi programmes.

   She wrote to the committee chairman stating that she will be able to do so only after November 5 since she has to keep her engagements in her Parliamentary constituency until then. In a post on X, she said the committee chairman had announced summons to her “on live TV way before” it was officially emailed to her. She also said all complaints and suo motu affidavits had been released to the media.

5. 05

   Moitra admits she gave login, password to Hiranandani, denies taking cash

   Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra Friday (October 27) admitted she gave her Parliament login and password details to her friend and businessman Darshan Hiranandani but denied taking any cash from him, as alleged by Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai in his complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

   In an interview to The Indian Express in the backdrop of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee examining cash-for-query charges against her, Moitra said, “No MP types her/his own question. I have given him (Darshan) the password and login for someone in his office to type it (the questions) down and upload.”

6. 06

   Delhi HC permits Mahua Moitra to drop media houses from lawsuit

   Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra informed the Delhi High Court that she seeks to delete as parties several media houses from her lawsuit against publishing of alleged defamatory content against her related to the cash-for-query allegations. Moitra’s counsel also submitted that he was not pressing any interim relief in the matter and that the lawsuit would only continue against two defendants — BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai.

   The high court thereafter permitted Moitra to file an amended memo of parties and carry out appropriate changes in the pleadings in the lawsuit. The matter was listed next on December 5.

7. 07

   Moitra writes to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asking him to seek accountability from authorities

   The MP, who will appear before the Ethics Committee of the Parliament in the cash-for-query scandal, wrote to Speaker Om Birla to seek his protection and intervention in the latest snooping controversy.

   She was among the first of the Opposition leaders to claim her phone was being hacked after receiving Apple's threat notifications.

   While underlining how she and several other Opposition leaders had received messages from Apple that their iPhones were “being targeted by state-sponsored attackers”, Moitra said, “This threat is doubly shocking in light of the Pegasus software (sold only to governments) that was used to compromise the devices of various members of the Opposition, dissenting journalists and members of civil society during 2019-2021. In spite of the Opposition raising this issue in the House, no debate was allowed and no conclusive report has been filed by any agency.”

8. 08

   Mahua to appear before ethics panel after Nov 2 deadline

   The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, which is probing the allegations of cash-for-query against TMC MP Mahua Moitra asked her to appear before it on November 2.

   Sources said the committee also asserted that no further extension would be granted to her for any reason whatsoever “keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, having implications on the dignity of Parliament as well as its Members”.

   Initially, the Committee which began examining the case on October 26, asked her to appear on October 31. But the TMC leader expressed her inability to appear before the panel saying she will be available only after November 5.

9. 09

   Mahua asks permission to cross-examine

   Ahead of her appearance before the Lok Sabha panel, Mahua on November 1 shared a copy of the letter written by her to the panel chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar, expressing her desire to exercise her right to cross-examine Darshan Hiranandani and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

   Sharing the letter on X, Mahua said, “Since 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’ tomorrow.”

   In her letter, Mahua said she will appear before the panel on Thursday and will “demolish” the complaint of cash-for-query against her.

10. 10

    Mahua deposes before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee

    The TMC leader appeared before the ethics panel on November 2. Before the summoned date, in a letter regarding the allegations against her, she added the complainant Dehadrai has provided no documentary evidence to back his allegations neither in his written complaint nor in his oral hearing.

    The meeting of the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee witnessed stormy scenes after  Moitra, who had appeared before the panel to give oral evidence in connection with the cash-for-query allegations levelled against her by Dubey, walked out with Opposition members, accusing chairman Vinod Kumar Sonkar of putting “undignified questions” to her.

    Hours later, Moitra alleged that what transpired at the meeting was an “orchestrated cheer-haran (disrobing) designed to humiliate” her.

    “I walked in as one of 78 woman MPs in a country of 1.4 billion people, ready to assist a Parliamentary committee on ethics on the discovery of truth based on facts and evidence to back it up. Instead, I was subjected to a vastraharan, a disrobing, a witch-hunt of the worst kind. There were sordid, indecent and personal comments such as who I speak to, how many times late at night, and if I can give my call details, why a certain friend X is dear to me, what does his wife feel about it, which hotel I stayed in the last five years and with whom, etc,” Moitra told The Indian Express.

11. 11

    Ethics panel meet deferred

    TMC MP Mahua Moitra on November 7 said that the meeting of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee was postponed to clash with a Congress member filing his nomination from Telangana so as to deplete Opposition numbers, prompting a rebuke from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

    The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, was scheduled to meet on Tuesday (November 7) to consider and adopt its draft report on the cash-for-query allegations against Moitra. The meeting was then scheduled on November 9.

    Moitra said no draft report of the committee was circulated to the members. She added that BJP leaders were reaching out to allies to ensure their attendance to adopt the report by majority.

12. 12

    Ethics panel adopts report for Moitra’s expulsion, Oppn submits dissent notes

    The Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha adopted its draft report on November 9, recommending Moitra's expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha for “unethical conduct” and “serious misdemeanours.”

    The committee also recommended an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the government in a time-bound manner in view of the “highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct” by her.

    The report was adopted after voting with six MPs – 5 of the ruling NDA and Preneet Kaur of the Congress, wife of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh who is now with the BJP – in its favour, and four from the Opposition against it.

    The Opposition MPs – BSP’s Danish Ali, Congress’s V Vaithilingam, CPM’s P R Natarajan and JD(U)’s Giridhari Yadav – submitted dissent notes, disagreeing with the decision.
13. 13

    CBI begins probe into Lokpal complaint on Mahua

    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is learnt to be “enquiring into” a complaint sent by Lokpal on the cash-for-query allegations against  Mahua Moitra.

    Sources said the CBI has received a letter from the Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman, and was looking into the matter.

14. 14

    Ethics panel report on Moitra listed for tabling in Lok Sabha on Friday

    A report of the Ethics Committee which recommended the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a "cash-for-query" case is listed for tabling in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

    The report was earlier listed in the agenda of the lower house for December 4 but was not tabled.

    The revised list of business for Friday issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat has listed the Ethics Committee report as agenda item number 7.

    Various opposition members have insisted that there should be a discussion on the recommendations before a decision is taken on Moitra.

    "If the report is tabled, we would insist on a full-fledged discussion as the draft was adopted in two-and-a-half minute," BSP MP Danish Ali was quoted as saying by PTI on Thursday.