Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra Summoned By Ethics Panel On November 2

Mahua Moitra was earlier asked to depose before the panel on October 31. (File)

New Delhi:

The Ethics Committee of the Parliament, which is probing allegations that Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra shared her parliamentary login credentials with a businessman, has summoned her on November 2 after she sought a fresh date.

The fresh date came a day after Ms Moitra admitted to a television channel to letting businessman Darshan Hiranandani use her Lok Sabha login credentials to post questions that she claimed were hers.

Ms Moitra was earlier asked to depose before the panel on October 31. However, she sought a fresh date for her appearance stating that her October 31 summon was released to the media before the official letter was mailed to her in the evening.

“Chairman, Ethics Comm announced my 31/10 summons on live TV way before official letter emailed to me at 19:20 hrs. All complaints and suo moto affidavits also released to media,” she had said.

The Trinamool MP had said she would appear before the committee immediately after the pre-scheduled programmes in her constituency end on November 4.

Ms Moitra yesterday said the only things she had received from Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of the Hiranandani Group, as gifts were “one scarf, some lipsticks, and other makeup items including eye shadow”.

In an interview to India Today, she also admitted that he allowed him to use her Lok Sabha login credentials, but denied the allegations that she took bribes from him. She also demanded that she be given the chance to cross-examine him.

Her remarks come amid allegations that she received gifts from Mr Hiranandani in exchange for asking questions in Parliament.

The Ethics Committee has now summoned her to present her defence on November 2.

Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey have already recorded their statements before the Ethics Committee.