Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, in a two-page statement, shredded the affidavit of businessman Darshan Hiranandani, alleging that the Prime Minister’s Office “held a proverbial gun” to his head and made him sign the white paper that was later “leaked to the press”.
Businessman Hiranandani’s explosive affidavit on his links with TMC MP Mahua Moitra and claims her efforts to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi using the Adani Group has triggered a massive furor.
“Darshan Hiranandani has not been summoned by the CBI or the Ethics Committee or indeed by any investigative agency yet. Who then has he given this affidavit to,” Moitra said in the statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Questioning if it was indeed an affidavit from the businessman, Moitra pointed out that it was neither on an official letterhead and has no official origin aside from a press leak.
It was not posted on social media by him but was “leaked selectively to the media,” she said in the statement released on X, formerly Twitter.
Calling it a “selective leak of a plea bargain”, Moitra said this is part of the establishment’s witch hunt into every political leader who dares question Adani”.
Also Read: Lok Sabha Speaker refers TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s “bribe-for-query” complaint to ethics panel
Darshan Hiranandani’s affidavit
Hiranandani’s affidavit claimed Moitra had asked for help to politically target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and use the Adani group for a smear campaign against him. He claimed she has also given him her parliament login ID to frame questions on the Adani Group, PTI reported.
Mahua Moitra thought the “only way” to attack PM Modi was by attacking Gautam Adani, and so she “expected support”, the affidavit read. For this, she shared her parliament login ID so he could frame the questions, Hiranandani said. He went along with the idea because he thought he would get support in the Opposition-ruled states through her, he wrote in the affidavit.
He also claimed the Trinamool MP received support from others in this effort, including journalists, Opposition leaders and former Adani Group employees, who fed her unverified information. In this context, he had named several people including journalist Sucheta Dalal, who has denied the allegations, PTI reported.
Also Read: ‘Cash for questions’: BJP MP writes to Lok Sabha Speaker, seeks suspension of TMC’s Mahua Moitra
What is the controversy about?
Last week, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, in a letter addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, demanded immediate suspension of Mahua Moitra, alleging that she “took bribes to ask questions” in Parliament from Darshan Hiranandani to target his business rival, the Adani group, and PM Modi.
Accusing the TMC MP of breach of parliamentary privilege, contempt of House and criminal conspiracy, he sought her immediate suspension from Parliament.
His complaint has been referred by the Speaker to Parliament’s Ethics Committee.
Mahua Moitra, on the other hand, has denied the allegations, saying she welcomes any kind of inquiry.
(With inputs from PTI)