In a shocking turn in the series of events, Darshan Hiranandani, son of real estate billionaire Niranjan Hiranandani, turned approver in a “cash for query” row involving Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra and claimed that he used the Rajya Sabha MP’s Parliamentary login to ask questions from the central government.

Darshan made this comment prior to the hearing in the defamation case Moitra brought against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who accused her of accepting "bribes" from a businessman to raise questions in Parliament.

Businessman Darshan claimed in an affidavit that he had met Moitra multiple times and that they routinely spoke on the phone, anywhere from once a week to daily.

“She shared with me her email ID as a 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… Certain information was shared with me, based on which I continued to draft and post questions using her Parliamentary login whenever needed,” it said.

Darshan also claimed the TMC leader sought various favours from him. “Many times I felt that she was taking undue advantage of me and pressurizing me to do things I didn’t want to, but I had no choice, because of the aforementioned reasons,” he stated.

The businessman's accusations were refuted by Moitra, who claimed that the government put a gun to his head and threatened to close down the man's industries. “He has not been called by CBI or the ethics committee. Why would he write this on his own? Modi has threatened to shut his and his father’s businesses down. They have huge investments in every state. BJP wants to get me at any cost so forced him to do this,” she added.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Moitra of ‘accepting bribes’ from a businessman and demanded that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla form an “inquiry committee” to examine the charges against her.

According to allegations made by Dubey, Moitra received cash and gifts from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for her parliamentary inquiries about the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Dubey, Hiranandani gave Moitra Rs 2 crore, expensive presents like an iPhone, as well as Rs 75 lakh to run for office.

According to Indian Express, Dubey stated that he had documents provided by lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai that "shared irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged" between Moitra and a businessman "to ask question(s) in Parliament".

Moitra slammed Dubey saying that she “welcomes any move against her after the Lok Sabha Speaker is finished dealing with pending charges against him (Dubey)”.

Image source: PTI