Moitra was arrogant, rude, resorted to unparliamentary language at Ethics Committee meeting: BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi

New Delhi [India], November 3 (ANI): Following allegations that the Ethics Committee had subjected Mahua Moitra to humiliating personal questions while hearing on the cash-for-query allegations against her, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Aparajita Sarangi said that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP was "arrogant", "rude", "bitter" and used "unparliamentary language".
"She behaved in a very arrogant, rude manner. She was very bitter. She was very angry. And she didn't know how to express her anger. And that is why she resorted to unparliamentary language," Sarangi who is also a member of the Ethics Committee said speaking to reporters on Friday.
Sarangi said that the words used by Moitra for the chairman and other members of the committee were so harsh that they cannot be said in public.
"The words that were used by her for the chairman and other members of the committee cannot be told in public," she said.
The BJP MP added that all the opposition members in the ethics panel "lost their cool" and started banging the chair, table and humiliating other members.
"And all the opposition members who were the members of the ethics panel also lost their cool. And they banged the chair, they banged the table and they humiliated all of us who were part of the committee," Sarangi said.
The BJP MP said that such behaviour was not expected from Moitra and too much of arrogance and rudeness is not good for her health.
"This was not expected from the honourable MPs, especially Mahua Moitra. She should have behaved decently. Too much of aggression, too much of arrogance and too much of rudeness is not good for her health," Sarangi said.
BJP MP Sunita Duggal said that Moitra was given the option to refuse to answer the questions by the chairperson if she had found the questions objectionable.
"Mahua Moitra spoke in detail for one to one and a half hours and also spoke about her personal life. Following this before the Chairman started questioning her, she was told that she may choose to answer the questions or she may chose to stay silent. She was also told that if she does not want to answer now, she is free to do so after 24 hours. If she had felt that the questions were humiliating she could have chosen the options already given to her," Duggal said while speaking to ANI.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Rajdeep Roy rubbished claims that Moitra was not allowed to speak, saying that she was given a chance to speak and she spoke at length uninterrupted.
"Mahua Moitra was given a chance to speak. She spoke at length uninterrupted. In fact, we didn't want to listen to her personal stories. Despite that, she alleged that she was not heard," Roy who is also a member of the Ethics Committee said, speaking to ANI on Friday.
Roy said that Moitra started creating a ruckus in the post-lunch session of the Committee saying that it cannot ask "personal".
"In the post-lunch session of the Committee, after answering a few questions she started creating a ruckus and said that you have no right to ask this question as it is personal in nature," Roy said.
Roy claimed that Moitra should not take the cover of an MP and say that she is protected by Parliament not to disclose information.
"To my mind these were questions regarding the allegations brought against her by Hiranandani and Jai Anant. Being an MP, you can't say that allegations are personal in nature so you can't answer. You cannot take the cover of an MP and then say that you are protected by Parliament and you cannot answer. Nobody is protected in this country. If we have allegations against you, you have to answer," he said.
Reacting to Moitra's charge that the Ethics Committee meeting was like a "proverbial vastraharan (stripping)," Roy said, "In Maharbharat, Draupadi was not given a chance, her voice was not heard. In this case, Mahua Moitra was given almost 2-2.5 hours to plead her side of the story and she did it."
"We were not interested in her personal life. She went on and on explaining what went on behind the photographs that were shown in the social media, why these allegations were made by Advocate Jai Anant and what the background of the relation was. This is not a family court," Roy further clarified.
The BJP MP said that Moitra should not have given her log in credentials to Hiranandani if he is not her authorised personal assistant.
"If Hiranandani is not her authorised PA, if Hiranandani does not belong to the class of assistants that MPs are entitled to, she should not be giving her login code to someone who is sitting as far as UAE," Roy said.
Moitra is facing 'Cash for Query' allegations by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who alleged that the Trinamool MP had taken bribes from Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani to raise questions in Parliament to target the Adani Group. (ANI)