TMC’s silence on the accusations against MP Mahua Moitra of accepting bribes to raise parliamentary questions does not come as a shock. Moitra, while well-known within the political circles of Delhi, does not hold extensive influence within the TMC party structure. When pressed for comment, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated the party had nothing to add at this time, leaving any statements up to Moitra herself.
Adani Port Undertaking
Further, party insiders suggest Moitra’s critique of the Adani group has not been well-received by the party leadership. The TMC-led West Bengal government proceeds with Adani Group’s development of the Tajpur port. The proposed deep-sea port, approximately 170 km from Kolkata, is anticipated to attract an investment of ₹15,000 crores and create around 25,000 direct jobs and numerous indirect employment opportunities.
TMC’s Silence on Moitra
The TMC’s strategy of not commenting on allegations against its leaders is not new. When TMC MP Nusrat Jahan faced corruption charges in a real estate deal and was subsequently summoned by the Enforcement Directorate, the party remained quiet.
According to Amit Malaviya, the head of BJP’s IT cell, it isn’t surprising that TMC’s leader, Mamata Banerjee, has chosen to leave Moitra undefended. He claims that Banerjee would only defend her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, despite numerous TMC leaders serving prison time for serious crimes. The state’s Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury echoed this sentiment, saying that TMC only makes noise when their general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is implicated.
Trinamool’s Congress Distances Itself from Controversy Involving Mahua Moitra
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and attorney Jai Anant Dehadrai have raised allegations against Mahua Moitra, a TMC MP. They claim that Moitra received inappropriate benefits from business tycoon Darshan Hiranandani in return for posing inquiries in the parliament.
Kolkata
The Trinamool Congress has chosen to step back from the scandal involving its own member of parliament, Mahua Moitra. She’s currently under scrutiny for allegedly accepting pay-offs to introduce questions in the parliament.
Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of the diversified Hiranandani Group, is said to have compensated Ms. Moitra for questioning the dealings of the Adani Group in Parliament. Hiranandani recently asserted in a sworn statement that her aim was to taint and humiliate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has an unblemished reputation. PTI has verified the existence of the affidavit.
Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool’s General Secretary for West Bengal, said the party has no comment on the issue and believes that Ms. Moitra should handle the controversy. Another TMC senior leader, requesting anonymity, said the party is trying to avoid any involvement in this controversy. In light of recent developments, BJP leader Rahul Sinha accused the ruling party of West Bengal of evading their responsibility.
Sinha said, “TMC has a tendency to avoid answerability when their leaders are either detained or face difficulties. The TMC must clarify its stance on Mahua Moitra.”
Earlier this week, allegations were confirmed by Nishikant Dubey, a BJP MP, and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, stating that Moitra had received benefits from Hiranandani to question the parliament. In retaliation, Moitra has sued them for defamation in the Delhi High Court.
Om Birla, the Lok Sabha Speaker, has forwarded Dubey’s complaint to the Parliament’s Ethics Committee. Vinod Sonkar, the chairman of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, confirmed the receipt of Hiranandani’s affidavit.
