TMC MP Mahua Moitra who is in the middle of a controversy over the cash-for-query scam has admitted that she had entrusted her Parliament login credentials, comprising her login ID and password, to her friend and businessman, Darshan Hiranandani.
Moitra said, “Someone in Darshan Hiranandani’s office typed the question which I gave on the Parliament website. After putting the question, they would call me to inform and I would read all the questions in one go as I am always busy in my constituency. After putting the question, an OTP (one-time password) comes on my mobile phone. I would give that OTP and only then is the question submitted. So, the idea that Darshan would log in to my ID and put in questions of his own is ludicrous,” the TMC MP said in an interview with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai.
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“Darsh is my friend and holds an Indian passport. BJP also claims Darshan logged in from Dubai. I myself have logged in from Switzerland. If the NIC question and answer is so protected, why don’t you put restrictions on IP addresses entering it?” Moitra said.
In his affidavit, Darshan claimed that Moitra gave him her Parliament login and password so he could post questions on her behalf.
Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee is currently probing the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations against her and summoned the MP to appear before it on October 31. Moitra has sought more time to appear before the ethics panel. In her response Mahua Moitra has informed that she could depose before the panel only after November 5.
