Moitra row fallout

THE cash-for-query controversy involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has led to a difficult tweak in the rules for accessing the Digital Sansad portal. The Lok Sabha authorities have reportedly confined its access to the MPs, leaving out their PAs. The move can be tough on most MPs as they depend upon their personal staff to carry out, on their behalf, routine parliamentary functions, including drafting of questions, requests for discussions, draft Bills, etc.

This dependence stems from the MPs being busy with constituency/party matters and/or being digitally challenged. The Lok Sabha manual allows them to authorise their bona fide PAs to log into their accounts for official work. Denial of access to their staff will prompt the MPs to be digitally savvy and spend more screen time to remain engaged in parliamentary business.

There is no quarrel with the move to ensure that login details are not shared with unauthorised persons or outsiders. However, an MP’s staff members don’t fall in this category. The curbs are unwarranted as the Moitra case pertains to the allegation that she shared her portal password with a businessman, Dubai resident Darshan Hiranandani. The IT ministry has confirmed that the TMC leader’s parliamentary ID was accessed 49 times from Dubai. This followed a probe into BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s accusations that Moitra took bribes from Hiranandani to ask questions targeting the Adani Group in Parliament. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee probing the matter has recommended Moitra’s expulsion from the LS due to a serious breach of parliamentary rules. Even as investigations into the corruption charge are still on, a case is definitely made out to allow MPs’ authorised personal staff to access the Digital Sansad portal.