In the Moitra case, the TMC MP argued that while she shared her log in details with Hiranandani, the OTP still came on her phone which she subsequently shared with him.
The Lok Sabha has modified access protocols for the Digital Sansad portal following a controversy involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. Moitra faced allegations of sharing her login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, allowing him to post Parliament questions directly to the platform.
On November 9, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee investigated the cash-for-query allegations against Mahua Moitra, recommending her expulsion in their final report. The controversy emerged on October 15 when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Moitra of accepting bribes from Hiranandani in exchange for raising parliamentary questions.
Previously, personal assistants (PAs) of lawmakers could access a tab called "E-Notice" on Digital Sansad to file documents related to the legislative branch. This included parliament questions, requests for short-duration and zero-hour discussions, draft bills, amendments, etc. However, the protocol change now limits PAs to saving notices as drafts, with lawmakers required to submit or file them from their own accounts.
The Digital Sansad platform, inaugurated on September 1 to bring Parliament closer to the people, allows all citizens to access Parliamentary Papers and Proceedings on their mobile devices. Initially, it allowed members to authorise assistants or secretaries for account access by submitting their authorised personnel's email IDs and phone numbers to the Lok Sabha secretariat.
The potential challenge arising from this adjustment is that lawmakers may not possess equal qualifications or skill sets and are often reliant on their assistants and secretaries for digital functions.
The Times of India was the first to report the change in protocol. A source quoted in the Times of India report remarked, "At best, the members can sit beside their assistants or secretaries, sharing the passwords and OTPs to get their work done. Most MPs are still using this ‘unofficial’ method to participate."
Who Accessed Mahua Moitra's Login?
The protocol changes followed revelations by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra. She acknowledged providing her Parliament login and password to Darshan Hiranandani and disclosed that her sister’s child logged in from Cambridge to type in her questions. Moitra added that MPs typically do not input questions themselves, and the login credentials remain with their team. The OTP (One-Time Password) required for submission is sent exclusively to the MP's phone. Moitra clarified that only when she provides the OTP, the questions are submitted.