Darshan Hiranandani's affidavit received: Ethics Committee Chairman on Mahua Moitra case

NEW DELHI: Darshan Hiranandani has admitted that he had bribed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to ask questions in Parliament. Speaking to NDTV, Ethics Committee chief Vinod Sonkar said that Mahua Moitra will also be called if needed.

The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha says that it has received the affidavit of industrialist Darshan Hiranandani. Darshan Hiranandani has admitted that he had bribed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to ask questions in Parliament.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Ethics Committee chief Vinod Sonkar said that we have received the affidavit of Darshan Hiranandani. The allegations are very serious. The committee will hear the complaint of Nishikant Dubey on October 26. If needed, Mahua Moitra will also be called.

On this, Ethics Committee chief Vinod Sonkar said that the allegations leveled against Mahua Moitra are very serious. A letter has been given to the Speaker by Nishikant Dubey and the lawyer regarding these allegations. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has referred the letter to the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee has asked both of them to be present on October 26 with all the evidence. Besides, instructions have also been given to record the statement of Nishikant Dubey.

Darshan Hiranandani has sent his affidavit to the Ethics Committee and he has said that he had used Mahua Moitra's login ID and password to post his question, which is targeting a corporate company. How does the Ethics Committee view this?

Will the committee investigate this matter within a time limit, because the tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha will end in a few months. Lok Sabha elections are also going to be held in 2024.

Vinod Sonkar in his interview said that iIf a prima facie case was not made out against Mahua Moitra, we would not have issued the notice." Now I feel that the matter has gone beyond prima facie, because Darshan Hiranandani himself has tried to clear the whole matter by giving an affidavit"he said.

TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra alleged, "The Prime Minister's Office forcibly made Darshan Hiranandani write an affidavit. It was made to be written on a plain paper and signed by Hiranandani. Hiranandani's affidavit was deliberately leaked to the press.

Moitra said,"Hiranandani has not been summoned by the CBI, nor by any investigating agency or the Parliamentary Ethics Committee. Then to whom did Hiranandani give this affidavit? If Hiranandani gave the affidavit, then why he didn't give on notarized paper or letterhead? Hiranandani did not post the affidavit on social media.This affidavit was leaked to a select section of the media. This is a Plea Bargain selective leak. This is part of the campaign against political leaders who question the Adani Group".

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra of taking money from a businessman for asking questions in Parliament and called for an 'inquiry committee' to probe the allegations against her. Dubey said in a letter to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha that till recently, out of 61 questions asked by Moitra in the Lok Sabha, 50 were on Adani Group.