Mahua Moitra Admits Giving Darshan Hiranandani Access To Lok Sabha Account, Denies Taking Money

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra refuted allegations of accepting cash for parliamentary questions, stating that she granted businessman Darshan Hiranandani access to her online Lok Sabha account only to input her queries. Moitra explained that she provided Hiranandani with her account login and password for his office staff to type and upload her questions. She emphasized that questions required a one-time password sent to her phone number for submission, ensuring she had oversight of all queries placed on the Parliament website.

Addressing the gifts she received from Hiranandani, CEO of the Hiranandani Group, Moitra clarified that they included items like a scarf, lipsticks, and makeup products such as eye shadow.

The controversy around Moitra's parliamentary conduct emerged with allegations of her receiving gifts in return for posing questions in Parliament. The Parliament's Ethics Committee summoned her to present her defense on October 31, although Moitra sought additional time due to prior commitments in her Krishnanagar constituency. Several Ethics Committee members considered the allegations against her as a serious breach of parliamentary privilege.

Moitra also criticized lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who accused her of misconduct, asserting that he did not merit the attention he was receiving. She suggested that Dehadrai's complaint was influenced by their contentious dispute over their pet dog, Henry.

These developments followed a letter from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting the immediate suspension of Moitra based on allegations of accepting bribes from Hiranandani in exchange for asking questions in Parliament. Dubey cited evidence presented by Dehadrai, who claimed that Moitra had exchanged questions for cash and gifts. Initially, the Hiranandani Group dismissed Dubey's allegations against Moitra, but Darshan Hiranandani later submitted an affidavit to the Ethics Committee, accusing her of disseminating unverified information about industrialist Gautam Adani.