An investigation has been ordered after Rs 50,000 was discovered under Abhishek Manu Singhvi's seat in Parliament.
Jagdeep Dhankhar's claim in the Rajya Sabha sparked strong protests by Congress MPs. Abhishek Manu Singhvi has refuted the allegations.
Arpit Pattnaik
Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar announced on Friday that Rs 50,000 in cash was recovered by Parliament security officials from the seat assigned to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Dhankhar's statement led to protests from Congress MPs, with Mallikarjun Kharge emphasizing that names should not be mentioned until an investigation is conducted.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi denied the allegations, stating, "I only carry a Rs 500 note when I go to the Rajya Sabha. This is the first time I am hearing about this. I arrived at the House at 12:57 PM, and the session adjourned at 1 PM. After that, I stayed in the canteen until 1:30 PM with Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad and then left Parliament."
Nevertheless, Singhvi welcomed the investigation into the matter. He suggested that each MP should have a seat that can be locked, with the key taken home, to prevent such incidents and allegations from occurring.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha at the start of the session, Dhankhar stated that the cash was found during routine checks by security officials. "During a routine check yesterday after the House adjourned, a wad of currency notes was recovered from seat number 222, currently assigned to Abhishek Manu Singhvi. An investigation will be carried out in accordance with the law," he informed the House.
Kharge quickly responded, expressing his concerns: "You said this matter is under investigation. Until it is authenticated, his name should not be mentioned," asserted the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Dhankhar's remarks, arguing that there is nothing wrong with naming the seat number and the MP. "Is it appropriate to carry a bundle of notes in Parliament? There should be a proper investigation," he stated.
BJP President and Union Health Minister JP Nadda echoed this sentiment, calling it a "very serious incident" and an "attack on the dignity of the House."
The situation quickly escalated into another flashpoint between the government and the opposition. Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the BJP, saying, "It is disgusting to see how the BJP continues to disrupt the House. What is it that scares the BJP MPs to a point where they are reluctant to run Parliament? The ministers are merely protectors of one industrialist. Are the people's issues so irrelevant?"
