‘Cash for Query’ scandal or ‘Mahuagate’ as it’s now being called by many on social media, is playing out like a nail biting thriller. The protagonist in this case is liberal lobby’s darling and Trinamool Congress’ shrill and ‘no holds barred’ MP Mahua Moitra. She stands accused of accepting ‘bribes’ in the form of luxury gifts, favours and lots of money to leverage her status as an MP to ask questions at the behest of a corporate group that has competing interests with Gautam Adani. The corporate group in question is the Hiranandani Group and the tycoon who allegedly gave these benefits to Moitra in lieu of luxurious favours is Darshan Hiranandani.
I am of the opinion, that this case goes beyond mere corruption allegations. I believe TMC MP Mahua Moitra may be at the center of a substantial national security breach. My belief is grounded in two critical allegations. They are as follows
1) Sharing Login Credentials:
The most damning allegations against Mahua Moitra is the claim that she provided her Parliamentary login credentials to a third party – Darshan Hiranandani in this case. He through his alleged affidavit has admitted using her Parliament login credentials to post questions against Gautam Adani. This action, if proven true, raises significant questions about the security of confidential parliamentary records and information.
In the latest twist in this case, Mahua Moitra has released a statement claiming her ‘dear friend’ Darshan Hiranandani signed on the affidavit because he was pressured by the PMO to do so. She claims in her statement and I quote an excerpt from it here:
‘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. And he is in energy, data centres and semiconductor chip manufacturing which too depends on govemment licenses. He has over 30,000 crore investments in UP alone. They were told they will be finished, the CBI would raid them and all government business would stop and all PSU bank financing would be stopped immediately. The draft of this letter was sent by the PMO and he was forced to sign it. And it was leaked to the press immediately. This is in return for the government not doing a CBI investigation or not aggressively attacking their businesses. 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’
Neither has Darshan Hiranandani responded to her claims nor has the Hiranandani Group. In fact, last evening, the alleged affidavit with Darshan Hiranandani’s signature added a fresh layer to the case. It stated:
”She told me that she was particularly happy with the response and support she got from the Opposition members and certain sections of media. She therefore requested me to keep supporting her in her attacks on the Adani group and provided me her Parliament login and password so that I could post the questions directly on her behalf when required”
It's game over for Mahua Moitra.
Darshan Hiranandani turns approver &states that he had access to her Parliamentary login & password. It was voluntarily given by her.
As per Hiranandani
– Mahua provided parliamentary login ID & password
-She had interactions with Rahul… pic.twitter.com/jULrpPzs6F
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) October 19, 2023
2) Foreign Access to Parliamentary Records:
Equally concerning is the assertion that a third party, reportedly from a foreign land, was allowed to access confidential parliamentary records using Moitra’s credentials. This allegation points to a potentially severe breach of national security, as sensitive legislative data could have been exposed to unauthorised individuals beyond India’s borders.
As per the allegations, Mahua Moitra willingly gave her Parliament login credentials to Darshan Hiranandani who was accessing them many times from foreign soil – specifically Dubai. What if she gave her credentials to other such interested players in lieu for favours? One is forced to think because of this assertion made in Darshan Hiranandani’s alleged affidavit:
https://x.com/pradip103/status/1715039377402044825?t=5Mdtv_GPlVs_Sau3i1nhDQ&s=08
“She had interactions with many Congress leaders, including Sh. Rahul Gandhi, on matters relating to Adani companies. She also had frequent interactions with international journalists from the Financial Times, the New York Times, the BBC, and also with several Indian publications. She also received unverified details from several sources, including some claiming to be former Adani group employees. Certain information was shared with me, based on which I continued to draft and post questions using her Parliamentary login whenever needed”
A thorough investigation into the matter becomes all the more imperative now. The investigation should uncover the extent of the breach, identify all individuals who may have accessed parliamentary records from foreign locations, and determine the potential implications for national security.
This case not only raises questions about the ethical conduct of political representatives but also underscores the critical importance of safeguarding parliamentary records. Confidential legislative information forms the backbone of a country’s decision-making process, and any breach in its security can have far-reaching consequences.
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