New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who is accused of taking bribes to ask questions in the Parliament on behalf of her businessman friend against the Adani Group, reportedly admitted to having given her login and password details to businessman Darshan Hiranandani.
According to a report published in The Indian Express, Moitra denied the allegations of accepting cash while stating that she did share the login password with someone in Hiranandani's office to upload her questions for her.
The controversy arises as the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee examines cash-for-query allegations against Moitra. She requested an extension until after November 5 to appear before the committee, asserting that her nine questions regarding the Adani Group were valid and in the national interest.
Moitra denied receiving cash from Hiranandani, challenging the need to prove quid pro quo. She dismissed the complaint filed by Supreme Court Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai as fake and criticized the analysis of her questions as laughable.
Addressing accusations of accepting expensive gifts, Moitra acknowledged receiving a Hermes scarf and mentioned specific makeup items as gifts from Hiranandani, the TIE report further said. She insisted on her integrity, claiming never to have taken cash or anything else from him.
Moitra acknowledged a mistake in her choice of personal relationships but dismissed the allegations as a "bad hit job." She insisted that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had faith in her and expressed loyalty to the party despite the ongoing controversy.
Moitra accused the ruling BJP of targeting her at a time when Banerjee and Trinamool Congress were highlighting unpaid MGNREGA dues to West Bengal. She suggested the timing of the allegations was a deliberate attempt to divert attention from important issues.
Moitra refuted claims that Hiranandani renovated her house, presenting a drawing and asserting that the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) carried out the work at her MP bungalow.
The allegations, she argues, are an attempt to undermine her credibility amid larger political tensions between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.