Mahua Moitra questions credibility of Darshan Hiranandani's affidavit, alleges PMO forced to sign

NEW DELHI: TMC MP Mahua Moitra has raised questions over the credibility of Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani’s affidavit, alleging that it was “drafted by the PMO” and he was forced to sign it after being “threatened” with “total shut down” of his family’s businesses.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) held a “proverbial gun” to Darshan and his father’s heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this “letter”, Mahua claimed in a statement issued late on Thursday night.

Her statement came shortly after Hiranandani, who allegedly paid Moitra to raise questions in Parliament about the Adani Group, claimed in the signed affidavit that the TMC leader targeted billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani to “malign and embarrass” Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose impeccable reputation gave the opposition no opportunity to attack him.

He alleged that she provided him with her Parliament login and password to ask questions targeting Adani after the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation booked capacity at the Gujarat-based conglomerate’s Dhamra LNG import facility in Odisha and not at his firm’s planned facility.

In her two-page statement, Moitra said the draft of the “letter” issued by Hiranandani was “sent by the PMO and he was forced to sign it”.

“Three days ago (16.10.2023), the Hiranandani Group put out an official press release stating that all charges levelled against them were baseless. Today (19.10.2023), an ‘approver affidavit’ has been leaked to the press. This ‘affidavit’ is on a white piece of paper with no letterhead and there is no official origin aside from a press leak.

“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,” she asked.

“The PMO held a proverbial gun to Darshan and his father’s heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this letter sent to them. They were threatened with a total shut down of all their businesses. His father is in real estate which depends on government licenses…,” she said.

Moitra, who represents West Bengal’s Krishnanagar in the Lok Sabha, said though tragic, what Hiranandani did it is “totally understandable”.

“Though tragic, it is totally understandable that Darshan (who is a dear friend) would need to think of what is at stake for him here – namely the continuation of his family businesses built up over decades and the fate of thousands of employees – and buckle under pressure and sign this,” she said.

According to paragraph 12 of the affidavit, the TMC MP said, Hiranandani gave in to her demands “because he was fearful of displeasing me”.

Hiranandani and his father run one of India’s largest business groups and their recent projects in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have been inaugurated by the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and the prime minister. Hiranandani also accompanied the PM abroad as part of his business delegation very recently, she said.

“Why would such a wealthy successful businessman who enjoys direct access to every Minister and the PMO be coerced by a first-time opposition MP into giving her gifts and giving into her demands? It is totally illogical and only cements the truth that this letter was drafted by the PMO and not Darshan,” she said.

In his affidavit, Hiranandani claimed Moitra “made frequent demands” including “expensive luxury items, providing support on 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”.

Moitra asked who the affidavit was given to and why did Hiranandani not hold a press conference or post it on X, formerly Twitter, himself.

He has not even been summoned by any investigative agency or the Ethics Committee yet, she said.

“If indeed he has ‘confessed’ to this, (then) why is he not releasing it officially rather than through back channel leaks? The truth is exceedingly clear,” she said.

Moitra also hit out at her estranged partner and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who has accused her of taking bribes, saying he is a “jilted ex” who wants to get back at her.

“This painstaking research on me… He is a jilted ex with an acrimonious personal history with me who wanted to somehow get back at me. If indeed he was witness to all of my corruption, then why was he with me during the time and why did he wait till now to make it public? “Also if he wrote to CBI and the LS Speaker, why out of 543 MPs would he forward the letters to Nishikant Dubey, a man who I have repeatedly exposed in Parliament and outside, and against whom I have filed pending privilege motions,” she asked.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has accused Moitra of taking bribes from a businessman to ask questions in Parliament and urged Speaker Om Birla to constitute an inquiry committee to look into the charges against her. Birla has referred Dubey’s complaint to Parliament’s Ethics Committee.

Citing a letter he received from advocate Dehadrai, Dubey said the lawyer shared “irrefutable” evidence of bribes being given to Moitra.

In his letter to Birla, Dubey claimed 50 of 61 questions she asked in the Lok Sabha till recently were focused on the Adani Group, the business conglomerate which the TMC MP has often accused of malpractices, more so after it was at the receiving end of a critical report by short seller Hindenburg Research.

Moitra further alleged that those closest to her are being threatened with Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids.

“Every effort is being made to malign me and isolate and scare those near and dear to me. My closest have been threatened with ED and CBI raids in the next few days,” she said.

“This is part of the establishment’s witch-hunt into every political leader who dares to question Adani. This is the price to pay for standing up to the BJP and Adani. But they cannot scare me.

“I will continue to stand up to Mr Adani until he answers the many questions that he’s duty bound to answer to the people of this great country. And I will pay any price to protect my country from these criminals,” she added.

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear on Friday Moitra’s petition seeking directions to restrain Dubey, Dehadrai and several social media platforms and media houses from posting, circulating or publishing any fake and defamatory content against her.

The plea, which was filed on October 17.