'White Paper, No Letterhead': Mahua Moitra Questions Hiranandani 'Affidavit' In 'Cash For Query' Case

Mahua Moitra's reaction came after LS Speaker referred to Privileges Committee a complaint by BJP's Nishikant Dubey alleging she took bribes from a business house in lieu of questions.

New Delhi: Amid the cash-for-queries row, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Friday claimed in an elaborate social media post that the Hiranandani Group, from whom she is alleged to have received bribes, put out an official release three days back saying that the allegations against them were "baseless".

Her post came close on the heels of the Lok Sabha Speaker referring to the Privileges Committee a complaint by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, alleging that she received bribes from a business house in lieu of questions in the Lower House.

Claiming that an "approver affidavit" in the matter has been "leaked to the press", the TMC MP alleged it was on a white piece of paper bearing no " letterhead". "...there is no official origin aside from a press peak," she claimed.

“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 or 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,” Moitra wrote.

Calling the letter’s content a “joke”, Mahua Moitra further claimed that the affidavit was drafted by “some half-wit in the PMO who doubles up as a creative writer in the BJP's IT cell.”

“It (the affidavit) sings paeans to Modi and Gutam Adani while linking in every opponent of theirs to me and my alleged corruption. 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,” she further wrote in her post.

Earlier on Thursday, Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of real estate-to-energy group Hiranandani, turned approver in the case. In a signed affidavit, the businessman admitted that he used the Rajya Sabha MP’s Parliamentary login credentials to ask questions from the BJP-led central government.