Mohua Moitra will not attend ethics committee hearing, says "summons announced on TV before I was told"

• Mahua Moitra has declined to attend the parliamentary Ethics Committee hearing on October 31
• The committee is investigating allegations that Ms. Moitra allowed a businessman to access her parliamentary login
• Ms. Moitra cited discrepancies in the announcement of her summons and plans to appear after November 4

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has announced her decision not to attend the parliamentary Ethics Committee hearing scheduled for October 31, where investigations regarding alleged "cash for query" complaints against her are being conducted.

The committee is currently examining allegations that Ms. Moitra allowed businessman Darshan Hiranandani to access her parliamentary login, which enabled him to directly post questions for Lok Sabha. Ms. Moitra cited that the committee chairman publicly announced her summons on live TV before the official letter was emailed to her at 19:20 hours, alongside the release of complaints and suo moto affidavits to the media.

Ms. Moitra indicated her intention to appear before the committee after her pre-scheduled constituency engagements conclude on November 4. The parliamentary Ethics Committee had previously taken statements from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, both of whom have accused the Trinamool leader of wrongdoing.

Ms. Moitra has previously referred to Mr. Dehadrai as her "jilted ex." She is facing allegations of receiving money in exchange for posing questions in Parliament on behalf of a businessman, with the intention of targeting the government and the Adani Group.

In the affidavit, Mr. Hiranandani alleged that Ms. Moitra shared her Lok Sabha e-mail ID to receive information for targeting the Adani Group, subsequently granting him access to post questions directly. He further claimed that Ms. Moitra sought national fame by personally attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, based on the advice of her friends and advisors.