"Personal Questions:" Mahua Moitra Walked Out Of the Ethics Panel (image:twitter.com/Politics_2022_)

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra walked out the Parliament Ethics Committee meeting on Thursday, alleging the panel was asking “personal questions.” Along with Ms Moitra, opposition leaders including Janata Dal (United) MP Giridhari Yadav, BSP MP Danish Ali, and Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy were also walked out.

“They asked personal questions to the woman (Mahua Moitra). They do not have the right to ask personal questions, so we walked out,” ANI reports as Mr Yadav saying.

Mr Reddy reports that Parliament Ethics Committee chairperson”s questions to TMC leader was “undignified and unethical.” He added that questions seemed like Panel chief was acting on somebody”s command. “They are asking her (Mahua Moitra) where are you travelling? Where are you meeting? Can you give us your phone records? There is no evidence of any cash transfer,” news agency quoted the Congress MP as saying.

Meanwhile, panel body chairperson Vinod Sonkar claimed that TMC MP did not cooperate with the committee during investigation and walked out in order to avoid answering questions. “Objectionable words were used against the panel”s functioning and me,” Mr Sonkar said.

Aparajita Sarangi, another panel member said the conduct of Ms Moitra was “condemnable,” and she has used “unparliamentary words” for the chief and all members of the panel. She added that when Chairperson asked questions relating to the contents of the Hiranandani”s affidavit, Ms Moitra did not want to answer them, and “then they created a ruckus.”

Before the panel, TMC leader pleaded innocence in the charges levelled against her, and referred that a “sour personal relationship” led to the row. She refuted the cash-for-query allegations but acknowledged that she had shared her parliament credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, but claimed questions were hers.