The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to TMC leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case on March 28
The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to TMC leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) contravention case on March 28, official sources said Wednesday.
The 49-year-old Trinamool Congress leader was called for questioning earlier also by the central agency.
Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha in December for “unethical conduct”, has been renominated by her party from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided her premises in connection with the cash-for-query case on Saturday, days after anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal directed the federal agency to investigate the allegations levelled against her by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
Dubey, a Lok Sabha member, has alleged that Moitra asked questions in the House in exchange for cash and gifts from Dubai-based Hiranandani to mount an attack on industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.
Transactions linked to a non-resident external (NRE) account are under the ED’s scanner apart from a few other foreign remittances and fund transfers, the sources said.
Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and claims that she is being targeted as she raised questions on the deals of the Adani Group.
Dikshit said that for the first time, it has happened in the history of India where on the one hand Prime Minister Modi was giving the slogan of ‘Make in India’ and on the other hand people were leaving employment and going into agriculture.
Citing the Annual Survey of Industries 2011-12, Dikshit said, “Only 28 per cent of factories used to take contract labours while 72 per cent provided permanent employment. But in the last year’s report, the figure has increased from 28 per cent to 98 per cent. Now gradually permanent employment will also be converted into contractual”.
“That is why the Congress party has brought Shramik Nyay so that people can get justice,” the Congress leader said.
He said that, when the INDIA alliance forms the government, it will come up with labour justice, health rights, urban employment guarantee, social security and secure employment.
He also said that the Congress will comprehensively review the anti-worker labour codes passed by the Modi government adding that the party also guarantees appropriate Amendments to protect workers’ rights.
Replying to a question on Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury inviting BJP’s Varun Gandhi to join the Congress, Dikshit said that he cannot comment on the issue as he was not aware of it.
To another question on Supriya Shrinate’s post on Kangana Ranaut, the Congress leader said that the leader had already clarified the matter yesterday. And she was finding out who had posted the comment.