#MahuaMoitra, #BJP, #TMC, #KunalGhosh, #CashforQuestions, #DarshanHiranandani
New Delhi/IBNS: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya late last evening took a jibe at Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, saying that her party has “abandoned” her amid a row over allegations that she took bribes for asking questions in Parliament to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also alleged that Trinamool Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has maintained a stony silence whenever her party’s leaders are arrested.
“It is not surprising that Mamata Banerjee has abandoned Mahua Moitra. She will defend no one else but Abhishek Banerjee, who is no less delinquent… Several TMC leaders are in jail on serious corruption and criminal charges but Mamata Banerjee has maintained radio silence,” Amit Malviya wrote on X.
Trinamool Congress Saturday refused to comment on the controversy surrounding Mahua Moitra. “The party has nothing to say on this issue. We think the person around whom this controversy is revolving is best suited to react to this,” Trinamool’s West Bengal general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
The Lok Sabha ethics committee Friday said it has received the affidavit by businessman Darshan Hiranandani alleging that he bribed Moitra to ask questions in the Parliament.
The committee said it will conduct a comprehensive probe into all the charges.
In his affidavit, Hiranandani claimed that Moitra had given him her Parliament login ID to frame questions against the Adani group.
Hiranandani claimed that Moitra felt it was the “only way” to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The claim is a huge setback for Moitra, who is currently battling BJP allegations that she had accepted cash and favours from the Hiranandani group chief to target its business rival Adani Group, and should be suspended from Parliament.
The allegation that she handed him her parliament login ID could constitute a breach of privilege if proven and that could bring down a suspension order against her.
Hiranandani, who is caught in the “cash-for-questions” controversy swirling around Moitra, said he was filing the affidavit since the matter involves him and has snowballed into a political controversy.
In the three-page affidavit, the businessman confessed to a few points that comprise the bulk of BJP allegations against Moitra.
Besides sharing her login ID, the affidavit mentioned Moitra accepting favours from Hiranandani. But it dodged the main charge against her — that she asked over 50 parliamentary questions on behalf of the Hiranandani Group to get the better of its business rival, the Adani Group.
