Trinamool Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra faces fresh legal challenges as the Enforcement Directorate has summoned her for questioning over an alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The summons requires Moitra to appear at the agency”s New Delhi office on February 19. This development compounds Moitra”s existing troubles, stemming from her expulsion from the Lok Sabha on December 8. Her expulsion was based on accusations of involvement in a “cash-for-query” scandal, initially brought forth by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, who claimed she accepted bribes from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask critical questions to the government in Parliament.
Moitra has challenged her expulsion in the Supreme Court, where her petition is currently under review. The allegations against her include accepting Rs 2 crore in cash, and luxury items from Hiranandani in exchange for raising specific issues in Parliament. Moreover, she was accused of sharing her parliamentary credentials, allowing Hiranandani to post questions on her behalf. While she admitted that she had shared her credentials which, she had claimed, was a common practice among MPs, she vehemently denied bribery allegations.
Moitra is also under scrutiny by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a directive from the Lokpal. However, as this investigation is still in its preliminary stages, the agency cannot arrest an accused or conduct searches, but it can seek information, examine documents and also question.
Despite consistent denials of any wrongdoing, Moitra suggests she”s being targeted due to her questioning the Adani Group”s dealings, particularly highlighting a purported ₹13,000 crore coal scam involving the conglomerate.
“Neither Lokpal has uploaded any referral order on the website as per the Lokpal Act, nor has CBI released any official statement. “Sources” telling journalists, as per the usual media circus. Hope the ₹13,000 crore Adani coal scam merits a CBI preliminary inquiry before my witch-hunt,” Moitra had said in November.
Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned Moitra”s expulsion as “vendetta politics” orchestrated by the BJP. Banerjee expressed confidence in Moitra”s eventual vindication and predicted a backlash against the BJP in upcoming elections.
“This is vendetta politics of BJP. They killed democracy… It is injustice. Mahua will win the battle. The people will give a befitting reply to the BJP. They will be defeated in the next election,” Banerjee had said.
