‘Moonlighting is a crime unless you’re an MP’: LinkedIn post sparks debate; check social media reactions | Today’s news
A LinkedIn post with a photo by Ravi Kishan questions how society views people who earn two jobs. It compares staff who face workplace restrictions with MPs who continue their professional careers.
The post shows an example of an employee’s earnings ₹30,000-40,000. The person has another source of income.
“hashtag#Moonlighting. Conflict of interest. Ethics. Code of conduct. HR has a whole sermon lined up,” the post reads.
“From a legal point of view, private professional work for MPs is not automatically illegal. So the question is not about legality. It is a double standard in how ‘ethics’ is applied. The employee’s second income (becomes) in conflict of interest. The MP’s second income is ‘Professional engagement’,” the post reads.
“Funny how ethics seem to change with status,” the post added.
What is moonlight?
Moonshine means accepting another paid job in addition to your regular job. For employees managing household expenses, an additional source of income can provide breathing room. The post asks why this choice raises suspicion when public figures stay out of careers.
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It contrasts the labels associated with similar financial choices. The conflict may represent the employee’s additional earnings. But the “moonlighting” of the deputy becomes a professional engagement.
Why Ravi Kishan?
A LinkedIn post uses Ravi Kishan as an example. He is a BJP MP representing Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. His acting career has recently been more active than ever.
His recent releases include the Netflix courtroom comedy Maamla Legal Hai, Mirzapur The Movie and Dhamaal 4. These parallel careers explain his relevance to the post’s argument.
Kangana Ranaut (BJP MP for Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Suresh Gopi (BJP MP for Thrissur, Kerala), Manoj Tiwari (BJP MP for North East Delhi) and Kamal Haasan (Rajya Sabha MP) also fall into the category of politicians who are equally active in their entertainment careers.
Other examples include Bengali actor Dev (Deepak Adhikari), Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan and cricketer Harbhajan Singh. While they are active politicians, they are also active in their non-political careers. Interestingly, Tamil actor Vijay quit acting before joining active politics.
Is moonshine a crime in India?
Moonshine is not automatically a criminal offense in India. However, employment contracts and workplace rules may limit outside work.
Violation of these conditions may result in dismissal rather than automatic criminal prosecution. Special laws also restrict dual employment in certain workplaces, including factories and mines.
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MPs follow different rules because they are public representatives rather than employees of a company. Becoming an MP does not automatically require someone to leave their current profession.
Therefore, private acting work is not automatically prohibited. Government profit restrictions generally do not apply to private film commissions.
Reaction on social networks
LinkedIn users posted mixed reactions to the post.
“You may be forgetting that politics is a social service. They are MP/MLAs for 5 years. Politics is not considered a job or a profession,” wrote one user.
“What about the time spent on these activities while being paid for official duties? Do they have attendance systems? Ah, that’s the working class to us. Who’s going to question them? No one,” another user wrote.
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One user commented: “The average man who earns and tries so hard to support his family that he has to do extra work is called COI and these people openly show what power means. This is only a message to provoke the younger generations to stand up.”
“But where is the conflict of interest?” another user wondered.
