Moitra storms out of LS panel meet

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: Opposition members of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on Thursday stormed out of its meeting along with TMC MP Mahua Moitra as they accused its chairperson Vinod Kumar Sonkar of asking her "indecent personal" questions, a charge he said was motivated to shield the parliamentarian from queries into her "unethical conduct".

Moitra, who pleaded innocence to bribery allegations, termed Sonkar's questions to her "filthy" following the walkout while he defended the queries, saying they were related to businessman Darshan Hiranandani's affidavit in which he admitted to giving her bribes and using her parliamentary login ID to ask questions on her behalf.

BJP MP and panel member Aparajita Sarangi said Moitra behaved in an "angry, rude and arrogant" manner when she was asked about Hiranandani's affidavit. Opposition members, including N Uttam Kumar Reddy of the Congress, Danish Ali of the BSP and Girdhari Yadav of the JD(U), hit out at Sonkar.

"Such personal questions were asked from a woman," Yadav told reporters.

They also objected to the alleged leak of reports submitted to the panel by Union Ministries of IT and Home about the details, including the place and timing of log-in to Moitra's parliamentary ID and her foreign travels.

The third-term BJP MP from Godda in Jharkhand on Wednesday referred to "media reports" that her login ID was opened 47 times from Hiranandani's place inDubai as many questions were asked in Parliament.

"It is a farcical exercise. We found the questions asked of her undignified and unethical," Reddy alleged.

Moitra appeared before the committee at 11 am and spoke for over an hour, pleading innocence and claiming the allegations were borne out of personal animus of advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai after she ended her personal relationship with him.

She has in the past indirectly referred to him as a "jilted ex".Dubey's complaint is based on details submitted by Dehadrai.