New Delhi: Information Technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has written to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over the alleged parliamentary login sharing by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, and said the matter is "of grave importance". The National Informatics Centre, he said, will cooperate with the Parliamentary Ethics Committee to investigate the matter, he added.
"The issues raised in your letter are undoubtedly of grave importance. The subject matter of your letter is currently under investigation by the Committee on Ethics... NIC will promptly respond to any instructions in this matter from the Lok Sabha Secretariat. NIC will also extend full cooperation to the Committee on Ethics in investigation of this matter," his letter read.
"Amused to hear of @AshwiniVaishnaw letter to Fake Degree Wala promising support in "probe" against me!" read Ms Moitra's response on X, formerly Twitter. "Still waiting for @HMOIndia & @Ministry_CA to probe Farji Dubey's illegal entry into airport ATC room last year with kids!" she added, with hashtag "#BJPHitJobUnravelling!"
"Who is lying? 2 days ago Fake Degree Wala said NIC already given details including "Dubai" logins to probe agency. Now @AshwiniVaishnaw says NIC will give info in future IF asked by LS or Ethics Comm," Ms Moitra said in another post.
Mr Dubey has alleged that Ms Moitra shared her parliamentary login ID with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, at whose behest she was targetting Adani Group chief Gautam Adani and through him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr Dubey's letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking the Trinamool MP's immediate suspension over this, is now pending with the Ethics Committee. The BJP MP had also flagged the matter to Mr Vaishnaw, seeking an investigation.
Yesterday, Mr Hiranandani, who has filed an explosive affidavit admitting most of the allegations against Mahua Moitra, told Times Now that he had posted questions on Ms Moitra's login from Dubai.
In his affidavit, Mr Hiranandani had claimed that Ms Moitra thought the only way to attack PM Modi was by attacking Adani Group chief Gautam Adani. In his effort, she had enlisted his support among others -- including journalists, Opposition leaders and for employees of the Adani Group, who fed her unverified information.
She shared her parliamentary login ID so he could frame the questions. He went along with the idea because he thought through her, he would get support in the Opposition-ruled states, he had said in the affidavit.
In an interview to Times Now yesterday, Mr Hiranandani said he filed the affidavit to explain his role in the "cash-for-query" allegations named him "directly and personally". He also admitted that he has used Mahua Moitra's parliamentary login ID and password to post questions from Dubai - a situation, if proved, will mean a breach of privilege and lead to her suspension from parliament.
Ms Moitra had alleged that the Prime Minister's Office "held a proverbial gun" to Mr Hiranandani's head and made him sign a white paper that was later "leaked to the press".
Regarding the use of her parliamentary login ID, she had also called upon NIC for help.
"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," she had posted on X.
"All parliamentary work of MPs done by PAs, assistants, interns, large teams. Respected @ashwinivaishnaw please release details of location & login details of ALL MPs with CDRs. Please release info on training given to staff to login," she had added in another post.
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