Issue of affairs

Notices, summons, raids, arrests and now expulsion have become the norm in India as the government seeks to defang critics and potential rivals on notice through central probe agencies. The latest that has come under scanner is the fate of Trinmool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra. The fiery speaker, known for her high decibel articulation both within and outside parliament has been one of the government’s fiercest critics over the Adani -Hindenburg issue. However, unlike other notices, raids or arrests by the central probe agencies on opposition leaders and critics, this time Mahua Moitra was felled by her own personal lifestyle in the form of an ex-beau and 35-year old Jai Anant Dehadrai, a Supreme Court lawyer. The duo were in a relationship for three years and separated earlier this year. The main dispute between the two was over the custody of their dog, a Rottweiler named Henry. The episode involves the quad Mauhua-Dehadrai-Darshan-Dubey (MD³) which has become the talk of the town. Dehadrai irst dropped a bombshell on October 14, which cast a pall of gloom on the eve of Navratri for Moitra. Dehadrai had shot off a 39-page letter oozing with scandal to the CBI and to Nishikant Dubey, the BJP MP. This unexpected development was grabbed with both hands by Nishikant Dubey who promptly scaled up the hostilities by demanding Mahua’s suspension from the House for breach of privilege and worse, citing nuggets from the letter. In his letter, Dubey claimed that Moitra had raised the Adani-Hindenburg issue in parliament based on information given by a close friend and Gujarati businessman Darshan Hranandani. Nishikant Dubey also claimed that Hiranandani had paid Rs.2 crore and gifts like expensive i-phone to the Trinamool MP and also given her Rs. 75 lakh to contest elections. Dubey has demanded immediate suspension of Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, alleging that she “took bribes to ask questions” in parliament from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Dubey has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing Ms Moitra of breach of parliamentary privilege, contempt of House and criminal conspiracy. Hiranandani group denied the Mahua link made by Dehadri. However in an unexpected twist that literally spelt the doom for Mahua , on October 20, the group’s CEO Darshan Hiranandani, who is Mahua’s friend, through an affidavit claimed that he used the TMC leader’s Parliamentary login to ask certain questions. He said that Mahua targeted Gautam Adani to “malign and embarrass” Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose “impeccable reputation gave the opposition no opportunity to attack him.” This damning affidavit has indeed put her innings in the current Lok Sabha in serious jeopardy as the parliament’s ethics committee has recommended her expulsion on account of the Dehadrai- Hiranandini episode. Mahua also wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker and opened another front when she alleged ‘serious breach of privilege’ as a TV channel on November 8, flashed ‘access to report’ a day earlier. Mahua said she was being ‘targeted’ and questioned how the draft report of the ethics panel landed with a TV channel(NDTv) majority owned by Adani Group “a day before it is to be placed before the committee”. The Mahua-Dehadrai-Darshan-Dubey quad issue will may even go to the Supreme Court over the issue of expulsion of Mahua.The issue that stemmed from her affairs is ultimately going to decide Mahua’s career in politics.