'Cash for query' row: Trouble mounts for MP Mahua Moitra after businessman turns approver

A Mumbai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani has claimed that he used Opposition lawmaker Mahua Moitra's login credentials to question Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on matters related to another businessman Gautam Adani.

Mahua Moitra, a Member of Parliament for Trinamool Congress (TMC) from West Bengal state's Krishnanagar constituency, was accused by herformer personal friendand lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and Nishikant Dubey—alawmaker from PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party— of accepting money and expensive gifts for asking a certain set of questions in Lok Sabha or People's House, the lower house of Indian parliament where the lawmakers are directly elected by the people in general elections.

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The row has come to be known as 'cash for query' controversy in and beyond the corridors of power in New Delhi.

Mahua Moitra has filed a defamationsuit before the Delhi High Court against Dehadraiand Dubey.

Hiranandani claimed that Mahua Moitra asked questions related to Gautam Adani at his behest to "malign and embarrass" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Mumbai-based businessman made these claims in a signed affidavit, and added that he used Moitra's parliamentary login credentials after India's state-owned petroleum behemoth Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) booked capacity at the Adani Group-owned Dhamra LNG import facility and not at his firm's planned facility.

Mahua Moitra 'made frequent demands' for expensive items: Darshan Hiranandani

Mahua Moitra, Hiranandaniclaimed, "made frequent demands" for "expensive luxury items, providing support on the renovation of her officially allotted bungalow in Delhi, travel expenses, holidays, etc, apart from providing secretarial and logistical help for her travels within India and to different parts of the world."

Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s complaint has been referred by the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Parliament’s Ethics Committee.

Hiranandani said that Mahua Moitra became a "close personal friend" after he met her at the Bengal Global Business Summit 2017.

"Moitra was very ambitious and wanted to make a name for herself at the national level," he said of her winning the Lok Sabha election from Krishnanagar in West Bengal in 2019.

"She was advised by her friends and advisors that the shortest possible route to fame is by personally attacking Modi."

But the prime minister enjoyed "an impeccable reputation and was not giving any opportunity to anyone to attack him in policy, governance or personal conduct," he said.

"As was her want, she thought that the only way to attack Modi is by attacking Gautam Adani and his group as both were contemporaries and they belong to the same state of Gujarat."

Hiranandani said Moitra knew about IOC choosing Dhamra over his company’s LNG terminal.

"Based on this information, Moitra drafted a few questions that would have elements to embarrass the government by targeting the Adani group; questions that she could raise in Parliament."

"She shared with me her email ID as Member of Parliament, so that I could send her information, and she could raise the questions in the Parliament. I went along with her proposal," he claimed.

She "provided me with her Parliament login and password so that I could post the questions directly on her behalf when required."

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