Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien has called for an investigation by the appropriate parliamentary forum into the 'cash-for-query' allegations against party leader Mahua Moitra. O'Brien stated that while Moitra has already clarified her position regarding the allegations, due to the involvement of an elected MP, the matter should be probed by the parliamentary forum. He added that the party's leadership would take an appropriate decision after the investigation's outcome.
A political controversy erupted when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Mahua Moitra of accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for raising questions in Parliament. He requested Speaker Om Birla to establish an inquiry committee to investigate these charges, which Birla referred to Parliament's Ethics Committee.
Nishikant Dubey presented a letter from a lawyer, Dehadrai, as evidence of the alleged bribes paid to Moitra. Dubey claimed that a significant portion of the questions she raised in the Lok Sabha primarily focused on the Adani Group, a conglomerate that Moitra had frequently accused of malpractices.
In response, Moitra attributed the controversy to a "Fake Degree MP" and her "jilted ex." She filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, denying the allegations and asserting that they were intended to tarnish her reputation. The court heard her petition on October 20, seeking directions to restrain Dubey, Dehadrai, several social media platforms, and media outlets from disseminating fake and defamatory content. The next hearing is scheduled for October 31.
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