Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday alleged that the scheduled meeting of the Lok Sabha ethics committee was postponed to keep a Congress member away from the proceedings and adopt the report by a majority.
The panel, headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, is examining the cash-for-query allegations against Moitra and was scheduled to meet on Tuesday to adopt its report. The meeting was postponed to November 9, though no reason has been cited officially.
Moitra has already deposed herself before the panel on November 2.
Taking to X on Tuesday, Moitra said no draft report of the committee was circulated among its members and that the BJP leaders were reaching out to their allies to ensure their attendance in the November 9 meeting.
"No draft report circulated as is the norm but will be 'adopted' on Nov 9. Meeting postponed to clash with INC MP's nomination date so he can't come. BJP calling allies to ensure attendance to adopt via majority. Chartered flight to fly in MP state president. How scared Adani and Modi are," she said in a post.
Congress member Uttam Kumar Reddy is contesting the upcoming Telangana assembly elections and is scheduled to file his nomination on Thursday.
The 15-member committee has seven members from the BJP, three from the Congress, and one each from BSP, Shiv Sena, YSRCP, CPI(M) and JDU.
According to a PTI report, the opposition members are expected to submit their dissent note to the ethics committee when it meets on November 9.
In the last meeting, five opposition members, along with Moitra, had staged a walkout, accusing the panel chairman of asking personal and unethical questions to the TMC MP. Moitra later alleged that she was subjected to a "proverbial vastraharan" in the meeting.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, whose complaint against Moitra had led to the ethics panel proceedings, countered the TMC MP’s allegations on Tuesday, saying it was her guilty conscience that was leading her to worry about the proceedings of the panel.
"What is there to fear about who will attend the Ethics Committee? Or whether the paper was circulated? What is in the report? Does this reflect fear or should we say that guilt conscience pricks the mind? One should be patient,” Dubey posted on X.
Dubey had accused Moitra of taking bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in Lok Sabha targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
Dubey also alleged that the TMC MP had compromised the national interest by sharing the login details of her Lok Sabha account with Hiranandani.
Both Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai—who allegedly provided evidence against the TMC MP—had also deposed before the ethics panel last month.
