"This is an inside matter of Parliament": Congress leader Rashid Alvi reacts to CBI investigation against Mahua Moitra

New Delhi [India], November 25 : After the Central Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation against TMC MP Mahua Moitra to look into 'quid pro quo' allegations of raising questions in Parliament, Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Saturday questioned the role of CBI in this row and said that what role does the central agency have to play here when this is an inside matter of Parliament.
Speaking to ANI, Rashid Alvi said," From where did CBI come in between? This issue is related to the Parliament. Only Parliament can decide on this issue. The committee has given the recommendation to Parliament. How can CBI come in between? CBI has nothing to do with it."
Rashid Alvi further stated that the investigation has been opened against TMC MP with "revengeful intent".
"This is revengeful. All this is done to create problems for Mahua Moitra. Since the BJP has come to power, ED, CBI and Income Tax have been working against the opposition. Did people in India hear the word ED ten years ago to this extent?" he said.
Earlier today, a senior CBI official said that no Preliminary Enquiry (PE) has been registered however an investigation has been initiated as the matter was referred by the anti-corruption body Lokpal.
"We are enquiring into the matter that was sent to us by Lokpal. We have yet to gather more details into the matter," the CBI official told ANI.
Mahua Moitra is facing the heat of the "cash-for-query" allegations against her. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee has recently recommended her expulsion from the Lower House.
Lok Sabha Ethics Committee investigated the cash-for-query allegations and adopted the report against Moitra with a 6:4 majority recommending the expulsion of the TMC member.
Moitra had appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on November 2 over the cash-for-query allegations against her. Along with opposition members of the panel, she "walked out" of the meeting on Thursday. Opposition members raised questions over the line of questioning and alleged that "personal questions" were posed to the Trinamool Congress MP.
BSP MP Danish Ali, Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav, and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy were among those who "walked out" of the meeting. Moitra alleged that she was subjected to humiliating personal questions from the panel.
In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Moitra stated that "unethical, sordid, prejudiced behaviour was meted out" to her during the meeting.
Earlier Nishikant Dubey had earlier approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against Moitra, accusing her of asking questions in Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts.
The draft report is learnt to have suggested that "serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment".
The report of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee is now with speaker Om Birla who will take a final decision on the fate of the Trinamool MP.