NIC should release details of all MPs' login locations: Mahua Moitra
New Delhi (PTI): Facing 'cash for query in Parliament' allegations, a combative Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Saturday said the NIC should release information on login access of all MPs and verify if they were physically present there.
Keeping up her attack on the Adani group, she also demanded a CBI probe into allegations against the company related to coal imports.
Moitra was reacting after BJP's Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey claimed she was in India when her parliamentary ID was used in Dubai and that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) had disclosed the information to probe agencies.
Dubey, who has accused Moitra of accepting bribes and favours for asking questions in Lok Sabha at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, later said he has moved the Lokpal.
Hitting back, Moitra posted on X that unknown Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) owning shares of the Adani group was a bigger national security concern and "not an email ID that every PA & every unchecked intern team of every MP has publicly & accesses at will".
The Krishnanagar MP added the CBI should first probe the Adani group over coal prices allegations, and also said that she was not ready to accept a “deal” to “shut up for six months”.
She said she got a message about an impending CBI raid. “I am busy with Durga Puja. I invite CBI to come home & count my pairs of shoes. But first please file FiR into Rs. 13,000 crore coal money Adani stole from Indians," she said.
In a series of posts on X, Moitra said, “Request NIC to please release all details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don't use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW.” “Unknown FPIs own Adani shares whose origin SEBI cannot find and Adani gets MHA clearance to buy Mumbai airport. This is the real question of National security. Not email ID that every PA & every unchecked intern team of every MP has publicly & accesses at will,” she said.
“Sorry Mr. Adani. I am not taking your deal to shut up for six months in return for “peace”. And nor am I taking the second deal where I am allowed to attack you but not the PM'.
“Adani used to CASH TO NOT QUESTION. Now he is forced to create a fake CASH FOR QUESTIONS (sic),” she alleged.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had accused the Adani Group of fleecing people to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore through coal imports and sought a probe.
Moitra has been at the centre of a political storm after Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla citing a letter he received from advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, who is Moitra's former partner, on the bribery allegations.
Birla has referred Dubey's complaint to Parliament's Ethics Committee, which has called Dubey and Dehadrai for oral evidence on October 26.
In a signed affidavit submitted to the committee, Hiranandani admitted to using Moitra's parliamentary login to ask questions targeting Adani after state-owned behemoth Indian Oil Corporation booked capacity at the Gujarat-based conglomerate's Dhamra LNG import facility in Odisha and not at his firm's planned facility.
Moitra, whose party has kept quiet on the issue, has persistently targeted the Adani Group and Dubey, dismissing the allegations against her.
"Adani may use BJP agencies to browbeat competition and buy airports but just try doing it with me," she had said on October 15 after the allegations surfaced.
Adani Group had in a statement referred to the complaint by Dubey to say that they "corroborate" the conglomerate's previous statements that "some groups and individuals have been working overtime to harm our name, goodwill and market standing".
In Parliament and outside, Moitra had been levelling allegations against the Adani Group for the last couple of years.
After US short-seller Hindenburg Research in January came out with a report alleging financial fraud and stock manipulation at Adani Group, she had targeted the government over the functioning of the conglomerate helmed by billionaire Gautam Adani. The group had denied all allegations.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
