Hiranandani Affirms Mahua Moitra’s Involvement In ‘Cash-For-Query’, Moitra Hit Back That PM Modi “Held a Proverbial Gun” For It (Image:Instagram/MahuaMoitra)
On responding to the ‘cash-for-query’ row, the Trinamool Congress MP and ex-investment banker Mahua Moitra on Friday shared an official statement in which she expressed scepticism about the press release of Hiranandani Group, which was issued on Monday October 16. Ms Moitra explained that the press note, a signed affidavit by the businessman Darshan Hiranandani, lacks an official letterhead and notarization. The content of the note corroborated the BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s allegations that Ms Moitra took bribes from Mr Hiranandani to ask questions in the parliament.
The allegations by the Godda MP surfaced on Sunday, where he used a research done by Advocate Jai Anant Dehadari to substantiate his arguments, and filed a complaint to the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla demanding the TMC MP’s suspension. Ms Moitra had exposed Mr Dubey inside and outside the Parliament many times and their rivalry is known for all.
Mr Hiranandani, reportedly admitted that he had given information to Ms Moita on the basis she was able to raise questions in the Parliament, attacking the business conglomerate Adani Group. He confirmed that; he gifted the MP expensive luxury items, helped renovation of her official bungalow; Ms Moitra provided him with her Parliament login credentials so that he could post the questions directly on her behalf, reported the Hindustan Times.
Ms Moitra through her Friday statement, rejected the allegations and accused the ruling BJP led government as the claims are part of their continuous efforts to shut her up on the illegal and reported connections between Gautam Adani and the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She added that the research by Advocate Mr Dehadari, used as accusations by the BJP MP, are mere revenge attacks of a “jilted ex”, and strongly vocalised that Mr Modi held a “proverbial gun” to Mr Darshan and his father”s heads and “gave them 20 minutes to sign this letter sent to them”. “They were threatened with a total shut down of all their businesses”, she added.
Jai Ma Durga. pic.twitter.com/Z2JsqOARCR
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 19, 2023
Here is the full text of Mahua Moitra’s response to the affidavit:
- 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?
- The affidavit is on white paper and not on official letterhead or notarised. Why would one of India”s most respected/ educated businessman sign a letter like this on white paper unless a gun was put to his head to do it?
- The contents of the letter are a joke. It has clearly been drafted by some half-wit in the PMO who doubles up as a creative writer in the BJP”s IT cell. It sings paeans to Modi and Gautam Adani while linking in every opponent of theirs to me and my alleged corruption. Shardul Shroff is the brother of Cyril Shroff who has had a bitter separation of business from him. Cyril Shroff is Gautam Adani”s “samdhi” and was on the SEBI”s committee in total conflict of interest. Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor are both people the government targets relentlessly. Sucheta Dalal is an investigative journalist who is always exposing the government. Clearly someone said “Sabh ka naam ghusaa do, aisa mauka phir nahi ayega!”
- For example, Paragraph 12 claims Darshan gave in to my demands because he was fearful of displeasing me. Darshan and his father run one of India”s largest business groups and their recent projects in UP and Gujarat have been inaugurated by the CM of Uttar Pradesh and by the Prime Minister. Darshan accompanied the PM abroad as part of his business delegation very recently. Why would such a wealthy successful businessman who enjoys direct access to every Minister and the PMO be coerced by a first time Opposition MP into giving her gifts and giving into her demands? It is totally illogical and only cements the truth that this letter was drafted by the PMO and not Darshan.
- Why has Darshan not done a press conference and read this out or tweeted it himself or his company put it out? If indeed he has “confessed” to this why is he not releasing it officially rather than through back channel leaks?
The truth is exceedingly clear.
This BJP government has been waiting to somehow shut me up on the Adani issue desperately. Jai Dehadrai is not some “Supreme Court lawyer” who has done painstaking research on me. He is a jilted ex with an acrimonious personal history with me who wanted to somehow get back at me. If indeed he was witness to all of my corruption why was he with me during the time and why did he wait till now to make it public? Also if he wrote to CBI and the LS Speaker, why out of 543 MPs would he forward the letters to Nishikant Dubey, a man who I have repeatedly exposed in Parliament and outside, and against who I have filed pending privilege motions? Why were the contents of Jai”s unverified letter leaked by Nishikant immediately to PTI and the contents used to create a media circus before any investigation was done?
Once the ground was laid the BJP moved onto step 2.
The PMO held a proverbial gun to Darshan and his father”s heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this letter sent to them. They were threatened with a total shut down of all their businesses. His father is in real estate which depends on government licenses. And he is in energy, data centres and semiconductor chip manufacturing which too depends on government licenses. He has over 30,000 crore investments in UP alone.
They were told they will be finished, the CBI would raid them and all government business would stop and all PSU bank financing would be stopped immediately.
The draft of this letter was sent by the PMO and he was forced to sign it. And it was leaked to the press immediately. This is in return for the government not doing a CBI investigation or not aggressively attacking their businesses. Though tragic, it is totally understandable that Darshan (who is a dear friend) would need to think of what is at stake for him here – namely the continuation of his family businesses built up over decades and the fate of thousands of employees – and buckle under pressure and sign this.
