As the noose around Mahua Moitra tightens over the cash-for-questions scam, the TMC MP Moitra went on a rant from her X handle on Saturday (21st October). In a series of posts, she expressed her frustration over the current allegations against her and made various claims in this regard.
However, she didn’t deny taking luxury gifts in exchange for asking questions in Lok Sabha, and also didn’t deny that billionaire businessman Darshan Hiranandani was using her Parliamentary portal account to post questions targeting Adani directly. Instead, Mahua Moitra claimed that every parliamentarian shares login IDs and passwords with staff, interns and others, asking the National Informatics Centre to disclose the details of the places from where the IDs of all the Members of Parliament were accessed.
Mahua Moitra wrote in her first post, “Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW.”
Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff. Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 21, 2023
It is notable that BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said in an X post that Mahua Moitra’s NIC ID was being accessed from Dubai. Notably, in an affidavit filed with the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani acknowledged that the TMC MP provided him with her Parliamentary login credentials which he used to ask questions from the central government on her behalf. Darshan Hiranandani is based in Dubai, and his affidavit was also signed in Dubai and was notarised by the Consulate General of India in Dubai.
Darshan Hiranandani purportedly operated Moitra’s Lok Sabha account from Dubai and he would input questions against Gautam Adani on behalf of the TMC MP. In exchange, Mahua Moitra received heavy favours from the builder in cash and kind.
Now, Mahua Moitra has pointed out that Personal Assistants (PAs), interns, researchers, and staff members of all the MPs access the IDs of the MP. She is using it as a defence by claiming that sharing the ID Password with Darshan Hiranandani does not violate any norms.
However, Hiranandani is a businessman and he is not one of the Personal Assistants (PAs), interns, researchers, and staff members employed by Mahua Moitra. Mahua Moitra has not yet denied that she shared the login credentials with the real estate tycoon. If he has accessed it, it is still a violation of the rules unless Darshan Hiranandani is one of the staff members of the TMC MP.
Mahua Moitra brazenly asserted that sharing login credentials of an MP’s ID with a member who is not from her staff is not a threat to national security. To back her argument, she targeted Gautam Adani without any support for her claims against the businessman as usual. She then repeated lies and unverified allegations against Adani. She said Adani has bought Mumbai airport, which is incorrect as the business group has only won a tender to operate the airport.
She posted on X, “Unknown FPIs own Adani shares whose origin SEBI cannot find & Adani gets MHA clearance to buy Mumbai airport. This is the real question of National security. Not email ID that every PA & every unchecked intern team of every MP has publicly & accesses at will.”
Unknown FPIs own Adani shares whose origin SEBI cannot find & Adani gets MHA clearance to buy Mumbai airport.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 21, 2023
This is the real question of National security. Not email ID that every PA & every unchecked intern team of every MP has publicly & accesses at will.
Mahua Moitra did not stop here. She also implied in her next post on X that she is getting an offer from Gautam Adani to settle the matter. She alleged that she is getting an offer to shut up for six months in return for “peace” and another one to attack him but not the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mahua Moitra wrote, “Sorry Mr. Adani. I am not taking your deal to shut up for six months in return for “peace”. And nor am I taking the second deal where I am allowed to attack you but not the PM. Adani used to CASH TO NOT QUESTION. Now he is forced to create a fake CASH FOR QUESTIONS.”
Sorry Mr. Adani. I am not taking your deal to shut up for six months in return for “peace”. And nor am I taking the second deal where I am allowed to attack you but not the PM.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 21, 2023
Adani used to CASH TO NOT QUESTION. Now he is forced to create a fake CASH FOR QUESTIONS.
She also said in another X post that she is getting threats of a CBI raid at her residence. She wrote, “Also got a message about impending CBI raid. I am busy with Durga Puja. I invite CBI to come home & count my pairs of shoes. But first please file FiR into ₹13,000 crore coal money Adani stole from Indians.”
Also got message about impending CBI raid. I am busy with Durga Puja. I invite CBI to come home & count my pairs of shoes. But first please file FiR into ₹13,000 crore coal money Adani stole from Indians.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 21, 2023
The controversy surrounding TMC MP Mahua Moitra
On 15th October, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha (MP) Nishikant Dubey levelled serious allegations against Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, saying she took cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani to ask specific questions against Gauta Adani in the Parliament. MP Dubey has submitted a formal complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking an inquiry against Moitra and urged the Speaker for her immediate suspension.
Nishikant Dupey’s allegations were based on information provided to him by advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, former partner of Mohua Moitra, who has been described as a ‘jilted ex’ by the MP. After that, the statement by Dehadrai appeared in public, giving detailed accounts of the allegations against Moitra. He said that Mahua Moitra received expensive gifts and other benefits from business tycoon Darshan Hiranandani, in exchange for asking questions in parliament targeting Gautam Adani, Hiranandani’s business rival in several sectors.
While the TMC MP had denied the charges, things exploded on 19 October, when Darshan Hiranandani himself filed an affidavit, confirming the allegations. He confirmed that he was given Mahua Moitra’s Parliament login and password to post questions. Hiranandani also confirmed that he had given luxury gifts to Moitra, paid for her holidays and travels, helped her in renovating her house etc.
The real estate tycoon said that Mohua Moitra chose to target Gautam Adani to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as there was nothing to target the PM directly. Adding to the allegations, Darshan Hiranandani alleged that Mahua Moitra was getting unverified information from several people to target Adani. He specifically mentioned three names, journalist Sucheta Dalal, and lawyer couple Shardul Shroff and Pallavi Shroff. Notably, Shardul Shroff was in a bitter fight with brother Cyril Shroff over the control of their law firm, before it was split between them. Cyril Shroff’s daughter is married to Gautam Adani’s son.
