Had Moitra played the “victim card” instead of gender, she would have found more supporters. Being a vocal, confident, and fiery MP, the woman-card does not have much impact on people. Moitra accused the Chairman of the Ethics Committee, who questioned her in a defamatory way, of showing a bias towards her and conducting himself in a deplorable manner. She mentioned that the Chairman had a prepared script with invasive and private details about her personal life that was unrelated to the inquiry.
Hiranandani filed a complaint against Moitra, alleging that she accepted gifts and money in exchange for asking questions in Parliament. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Moitra of bribery, based on evidence provided by lawyer Jai Dehadrai. Moitra was questioned by the Parliament Ethics Committee, chaired by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar. She accused Sonkar of making insinuations about her dignity as a woman.
Moitra stated that Hiranandani was a close friend and took a stand similar to the incident of Draupadi Vastraharan in the Mahabharata, where she fought a lone battle. Her party, Trinamool Congress, did not support her, leaving her to fend for herself. Members of the Committee walked out due to unethical questions asked, but critics accused Moitra of using the “woman card.” However, Moitra has been on record stating that the charges against her were based on lies from a jilted ex.
Moitra admitted to sharing her log-in details, but critics questioned her use of private assistance when MPs are entitled to secretarial help. Hiranandani accused her of accepting bribes, which Moitra downplayed by listing the gifts he gave her. The Ethics Committee recommended her expulsion from the House, with the final verdict pending.
In another incident, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s vulgar comments in the state Assembly about women showed a patriarchal mindset and a disregard for the dignity of women. His apology with a conditional “if” was considered inadequate, reflecting poorly on the state and the status of women under Kumar’s regime. This was considered a more egregious act of cheerharan compared to the scrutiny Moitra faced.