Derek O'Brien said the footage is doctored and that Parliament should look at whether it got "foreign funding" from Dubai.
Highlights
- Lok Sabha refers Trinamool 'sting' to ethics panel
- TMC's Derek O'Brien: Website made calls to Dubai before breaking story
- Trinamool leaders seen taking cash for doing business favours in sting
For Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party,
a scandal centred on video of senior leaders -many of them parliamentarians - accepting money, reportedly in exchange for extending favours to a firm, took on new dimensions today with Parliament deciding to investigate the footage.
Derek O'Brien, an MP from the Trinamool Congress, said the footage is doctored, and that Parliament should look at whether it got "foreign funding" from Dubai - he said records show the news site that uploaded the footage made several calls to Dubai before it broke the story on Monday.
NDTV cannot verify the authenticity of the video.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has referred the matter to the Ethics Committee, headed by veteran BJP leader LK Advani, a move denounced as "unilateral" by Trinamool leaders like Saugata Roy, who caveated his criticism by saying he greatly respects Mr Advani.
The allegations that the Trinamool's heftiest names accepted bribes have hit the party as it is seeking re-election in Bengal where elections begin next month. Five years ago, Ms Banerjee ended the Left's nearly three-decade-long term in Bengal with a huge victory predicated in part on a pledge to counter and remove systemic corruption.
The Left, led by Sitaram Yechury, said today that given that the Trinamool leaders seen in the footage accepting cash (from reporters posing as business executives) include MPs, Parliament is obliged to examine the video.
The Election Commission has separately agreed to do the same.