In a puzzling development during the Winter Session of the Indian Parliament, a bundle of currency notes was discovered beneath the seat of Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha, leading to a heated political debate and an immediate call for an investigation.
The incident came to light when Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced on the floor of the House on December 6 that security officials found a wad of currency notes during a routine anti-sabotage check.
Mr. Dhankhar specified that the notes were recovered from seat number 222, which is currently allotted to Singhvi, who represents Telangana.
The amount of cash found has not been officially confirmed, although reports suggest it was around Rs 50,000 in Rs 500 denominations.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi reacts
MP Singhvi, also a senior advocate, quickly responded to the allegations, asserting that he was astonished by the claims. He clarified that he only carries a single Rs 500 note to Parliament and insisted that he had spent only three minutes in the House the previous day before moving to the canteen for lunch.
‘I find it bizarre that even on such issues, politics is raised,’ Mr. Singhvi remarked, welcoming an inquiry into how the incident came about, suggesting that Parliament seats might need to be secured with locks to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Parties trade barbs
The revelation led to a sharp exchange between political parties.
BJP members, including Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, questioned the appropriateness of carrying large amounts of cash in Parliament, advocating for a thorough investigation to uphold the dignity of the House.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said Congress leaders might have so much money they forget some of it.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, objected to Mr. Singhvi being named before the investigation was concluded, arguing that such actions could prejudice the inquiry.
Congress has accused the BJP of orchestrating this event as a distraction from more pressing national issues like the Adani controversy. Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, have pointed out that carrying Rs 50,000 is not unusual among MPs, including those from the BJP, framing the recovery as a political ploy rather than a matter of corruption.