New Delhi: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey filed a complaint with the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, accusing her of taking bribes to raise questions in Parliament.
Firing a fresh salvo against her, Dubey said she was in India when her parliamentary ID was used in Dubai and claimed that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) had disclosed the information to probe agencies.
Moitra, whose party has been quiet on the issue, remained combative and kept up her attack on the Adani Group, alleging that charges have been levelled against her at its behest.
She also claimed on X that she had received a message about an impending CBI raid. “I am busy with Durga Puja. I invite CBI to come home & count my pairs of shoes. But first please file FiR into ₹13,000 crore coal money Adani stole from Indians,” Moitra said.
Soon after her post, Dubey posted a message in Hindi, saying he was “tired of hearing of CBI, CBI” and has lodged a complaint with Lokpal, which is entrusted with probing the case of corruption against public authorities, including MPs.
“Lokpal oversees the complaints against parliamentarians and ministers. The CBI is its medium,” he said.
Earlier, the BJP leader alleged that “an MP pawned the country’s security for some money.”
“The MP’s ID was opened from Dubai when the so-called parliamentarian was in India. The entire Indian government, including the prime minister, finance department and central agencies, use this NIC,” the BJP MP said.
“Does the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition still have to do politics? People will take a decision. The NIC has given this information to probe agency,” Dubey said without naming the agency.
Moitra hit back saying Adani’s dealings are related to national security and “not (an) email ID that every PA & every unchecked intern team of every MP has publicly & accesses at will”.
“Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW (sic),” she posted on X.
Targeting the Adani Group, she said, “Sorry Mr. Adani. I am not taking your deal to shut up for six months in return for “peace”. And nor am I taking the second deal where I am allowed to attack you but not the PM. Adani used to CASH TO NOT QUESTION. Now he is forced to create a fake CASH FOR QUESTIONS (sic).”
Dubey has accused Moitra of accepting bribes and favours for asking questions in Lok Sabha at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee is looking into Dubey’s complaint and has asked him to appear before it on October 26 for recording “oral evidence”.
In a signed affidavit submitted to the committee, Hiranandani has admitted to using Moitra’s parliamentary login to ask questions targeting Adani after state-owned behemoth Indian Oil Corporation booked capacity at the Gujarat-based conglomerate’s Dhamra LNG import facility in Odisha and not at his firm’s planned facility.
“Adani may use BJP agencies to browbeat competition and buy airports but just try doing it with me,” Moitra had said on October 15 after the allegations surfaced.
Adani Group had in a statement referred to the complaint by Dubey to say that they “corroborate” the conglomerate’s previous statements that “some groups and individuals have been working overtime to harm our name, goodwill and market standing”.
In Parliament and outside, Moitra had been making allegations against the Adani Group for the last couple of years.
After US short-seller Hindenburg Research in January came out with a damning report alleging financial fraud and stock manipulation at Adani Group, she had targeted the government over the functioning of the conglomerate helmed by billionaire Gautam Adani. The group had denied all allegations.
PTI