'Cash For Query' Row: Mahua Moitra Asks Parliamentary Ethics Panel To Allow Her To "Cross-Examine" Darshan Hiranandani

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Friday (27 October) told the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha that businessman Darshan Hiranandani's affidavit against her was "scant on detail and provides no actual inventory" of the alleged gifts he claimed to have given her in exchange for asking questions in Parliament.

She requested the panel to summon Hiranandani and allow her "to exercise my right to cross-examine" him.

In his affidavit, the businessman accused the TMC leader of targeting Gautam Adani in order to "malign and embarrass" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hiranandani further claimed that he had provided information to Moitra, which she then used to attack the Adani Group in Parliament.

The businessman alleged that he had gifted her expensive luxury items and funded the "renovation of her official" bungalow.

Additionally, he stated that the MP had provided him her login credentials for the Parliament's official website so that he could "post the questions directly on her behalf".

In a recent television interview, the businessman addressed Mahua Moitra's claim that he signed the affidavit under pressure from the Central government.

Hiranandani stated that he signed the document voluntarily, without "any fear or favour".

Additionally, he acknowledged that using the MP's parliamentary login credentials was an an "error of judgment".

"An affidavit notarised at the Indian High Commission in Dubai on 20/10/2023 was submitted on a suo moto basis to the Committee and released publicly to the media by Shri Darshan Hiranandani. Shri Hiranandani in a public interview expressed his willingness to appear before the committee. His affidavit available in the public domain, is extremely scant on detail and provides no actual inventory of what he has allegedly given me," Moitra wrote in a letter to the panel's chief, Vinod Kumar Sonkar.

"Given the seriousness of the allegations and in keeping with the principles of natural justice, it is imperative that I am allowed to exercise my right to cross-examine Shri Hiranandani," she added.

She also requested the panel to ask him to appear in person and provide a detailed "verified list of the alleged gifts and favours he allegedly provided to me".

She said that any probe against her without recording Hiranandani's oral evidence “will be incomplete, unfair and akin to holding a proverbial kangaroo court”.

The TMC MP added that the businessman would need to be called to depose before the panel prepares its final report.

The panel had on Thursday recorded the oral evidence of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai.

The panel had summoned Moitra for 31 October, but she stated that she would not be able to appear in person before 5 November.

"I represent the state of West Bengal where Durga Puja is the biggest festival. I am already committed to attending numerous pre-scheduled Vijaya Dashami Sammelans/meetings (both government and political) in my constituency from 30th October to 4th November 2023 and cannot be in Delhi on 31st October 2023," Mahua wrote, reports Hindustan Times.

She also appeared to be questioning Sonkar's comment to media before issuing summons to her.

"Chairman, Ethics Comm announced my 31/10 summons on live TV way before the official letter emailed to me at 19:20 hrs. All complaints and suo moto affidavits also released to the media. I look forward to deposing immediately after my pre- scheduled constituency programmes end on Nov 4," she wrote on X.