"Rai ka pahad...": Congress's Adhir Ranjan on 'Cash for Query' scandal

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 20 : Amid the ongoing alleged 'Cash for Query' allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the government is "eager" to protect a particular industrialist and create "rai ka pahaad" (mountain out of a molehill).
"The government is facing problems because of a particular person or a particular industrialist. The government is so eager to protect a particular industrialist that if anyone asks questions against him, the person becomes an enemy of the country," Chowdhury said.
He further said that every member has the right to speak inside the House.
"When we go to the House, we are the representatives of the public, we try to raise questions wherever we have any... But I have never seen such a way of forming an Ethics Committee and starting an investigation... Every member has the right to speak inside the House," he added.
"I don't know exactly what happened. But in general, what I can say is that every MP has the right to speak in Parliament. And the ruling party wants to throttle everyone inside and outside Parliament. Based on this, I feel the issue is rai ka pahaad (mountain out of a molehill). If anyone speaks against that industrialist, the government gets rattled. This should also be investigated. The government has all the agencies," Adhir said.
Earlier in the day, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) agenda is to expel me from the Lok Sabha.
"Chairman Ethics Committee openly speaks to media. Please see the Lok Sabha rules below. How does an "affidavit" find its way to media? Chairman should first do an enquiry into how this was leaked. I repeat - BJP 1 point agenda is to expel me from LS to shut me up on Adani," Moitra posted on X (Formerly Twitter).
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Ethics Vinod Sonkar on Friday assured that Committee will reach a conclusion after examining everything related to the 'Cash for Query' scandal .
He further informed that the meeting of the Ethics Committee has been called on October 26 where TMC MP Mahua Moitra will be also examined and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey will also be asked to be present with the evidence.
Moreover, Vinod Sonkar, informed that he has received an affidavit from the businessman Darshan Hiranandani regarding the 'Cash for Query' scandal which mentions the alleged role played by TMC MP Mahua Moitra in this row.
"I have received a letter/affidavit from Darshan Hiranandani," Ethics Panel chairman Sonkar said.
"In his 3-page signed affidavit to the Ethics panel, Darshan Hiranandani had admitted to his friendship with the TMC MP Mahua Moitra and claimed that the Lok Sabha Member saw attacking the Adani group as a route to fame, She became Lok Sabha MP in May 2019. She was advised by her friends that the shortest route to fame was by attacking Narendra Modi. She thought that the only way to attack PM Modi was by attacking Gautam Adani and his group as they both come from Gujarat," Hiranandani's affidavit read.
Hiranandani had further claimed that Mahua Moitra did share her Parliament Login credentials with him.
"She knew that Indian Oil Corporation was getting into an arrangement with Dhamra LNG a joint venture of the Adani group.....She drafted few questions that she could raise in parliament that would have elements to embarrass the Govt and target the Adani group. She shared with me her email ID as MP, so I could send her information and she could raise the questions. I went along with her proposal," the affidavit read.
Hiranandani also claims that the TMC MP also demanded favours and gifts from him.
Earlier in the day, the TMC MP welcomed the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee enquiry into the 'Cash for Query' scandal and said that she is ready to answer the questions of the panel when the Committee calls her.
In a post on X (former Twitter), Mahua Moitra said," I welcome answering questions to the CBI and Ethics Committee (which has an absolute majority of BJP members) if and when they call me. I have neither time nor interest to feed an Adani-directed media circus trial or answer BJP trolls. I am enjoying Durga Puja in Nadia. Shubho Sashthi."
According to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's complaint to the Parliament Ethics Committee, Advocate Dehadrai had provided him proof of TMC MP Mahua Moitra's involvement in the alleged 'Cash for Query' scandal.