Businessman Darshan Hiranandani, in an explosive affidavit today, claimed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra had given him her parliament login ID to frame questions on the Adani group, which she felt was the “only way” to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The claim is a huge setback for Ms Moitra, currently battling BJP allegations that she had accepted cash and favours from the Hiranandani group chief to target its business rival Adani Group, and should be suspended from parliament.
The allegation that she handed him her parliament login ID, if proved, could comprise a breach of privilege that could bring down a suspension order against her.
Mr Hiranandani — caught in the “cash-for-questions” controversy swirling around Ms Moitra — said he was filing the affidavit since the matter involves him and has snowballed into a political controversy roping in the Parliamentary Privilege Committee and the judiciary.
In the three-page affidavit, he confessed to a few points that comprise the bulk of BJP allegations against Ms Moitra. Besides sharing of her login ID, it included accepting favours from Mr Hiranandani. But it dodged the main charge against her — that she asked over 50 parliamentary questions on behalf of the Hiranandani Group to get the better of its business rival, the Adani Group.
The affidavit indicates the case was rather the opposite.
Mahua Moitra thought the only way to attack PM Modi was by attacking Gautam Adani, and so she “expected support on these sections”, the affidavit read. For this, she shared her parliament login ID so he could frame the questions, Mr Hiranandani said. He went along with the idea because he thought through her, he would get support in the Opposition-ruled states.
He also claimed that Ms Moitra received support from others in this effort, including journalists, Opposition leaders and former Adani Group employees.
He also claimed the Trinamool MP was also was a dominating and ambitious person who also made a number of demands for “various favours” which he met to retain her support. The demands made included gifting her expensive luxury items, “providing support for renovation of her officially allotted bungalow in Delhi, travel expenses, holidays etc,” he wrote.
“I could ill afford to displease her,” the affidavit read. “Many a time I felt she was taking undue advantage of me and pressurising me to do things I didn’t want to, but I had no choice, because of aforementioned reasons,” he added.
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