‘Total breakdown of all rules’: Moitra writes to Birla over NDTV’s ‘access’ to LS panel’s draft

In a letter to the Lok Sabha speaker, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra on Thursday said that NDTV’s coverage of the parliamentary ethics panel’s recommendation to expel her was a “total breakdown of all due process and rules of the Lok Sabha”.

The Krishnanagar MP’s letter to speaker Om Birla, specifically pointed out the 500-page draft report’s “access by NDTV, a media channel owned by Adani Group”, and said it was an “egregious breach”, a “serious breach of privilege”.     

A report on NDTV said it had “accessed” the draft report. “Trinamool Congress’ Mahua Moitra should not be allowed to continue as an MP and her membership should be terminated, the parliamentary Ethics Committee examining the cash-for-query allegations against her has recommended,” the report said. 

While the panel’s recommendations made front page news, the other media outlets reported the news citing anonymous sources.     

In her letter to Birla, for which Moitra reportedly “did not receive any reply”, she also accused the speaker of “inaction and lack of response to my previous complaints”.

The TMC leader said that the Adani-owned media outlet getting access to the report was “shocking”, and that she was being “targeted for speaking out against the corporate giant”.

The core of the allegations levelled against Moitra by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey is that she asked questions in the Parliament against the Adani Group, in the interest of its business rival Hiranandani Group. Dubey alleged that the TMC received bribes in exchange for this favour. 

Newslaundry earlier examined the questions that the TMC leader asked since her election as Krishnanagar MP in 2019. Out of the 62 questions asked by Moitra, nine were related to the Adani group and one was related to Hiranandani. 

Newslaundry had reported on the allegations against Moitra and the defamation suit she filed soon after against politicians and media houses. Among those named in the suit is one Jai Anant Dehadrai, a former TOI columnist, current lawyer and, in Moitra’s own words, a “jilted ex”. Read all about it here.