An Indian real estate tycoon wrote to a parliamentary ethics committee that he used a lawmaker’s parliament login to raise questions against billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate.
(Bloomberg) — An Indian real estate tycoon wrote to a parliamentary ethics committee that he used a lawmaker’s parliament login to raise questions against billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate.
Darshan Hiranandani, chief executive officer at Hiranandani Group, in a signed affidavit on Thursday said opposition Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra shared her email and password which he used to “malign and embarrass” the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
A representative for Hiranandani confirmed the contents of the affidavit. Moitra did not immediately respond to an emailed query on the allegation that she shared her parliament login details with Hiranandani. A spokesperson for Modi’s office also didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comments while an Adani Group representative declined to comment.
Hiranandani’s statement comes ahead of a hearing on Friday in a defamation case filed by Moitra against a member of Modi’s party, who had made bribery allegations against her in a letter to the parliament speaker. The speaker has referred the matter to the ethics committee.
In a statement published on her own account on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, Moitra questioned the authenticity of Hiranandani’s affidavit as it’s neither on an official letterhead nor notarized. The lawmaker also said she “will continue to stand up” to Adani and dismissed claims that she demanded lavish gifts and travel expenses from Hiranandani.
This marks the latest twist in the controversy around the ports-to-power conglomerate, months after it faced a brutal short seller attack that triggered a massive selloff in Adani stocks. Perceived close ties between Adani and Modi — they both hail from the western state of Gujarat and the first-generation billionaire has often dovetailed his corporate strategy to Modi’s growth priorities — is increasingly becoming a flash point in the political landscape as the country gears up for national elections due next year.
–With assistance from Swati Gupta.
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