Chaos in Rajya Sabha as cash found on Abhishek Manu Singhvi's seat, Congress MP reacts
Rajya Sabha cash row: Tension flared in the Rajya Sabha on Friday morning when a bundle of cash was discovered on the seat of Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The incident occurred after a routine security check following the adjournment of the House on Thursday. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who also serves as the Rajya Sabha Chairman, informed the MPs that a "wad of currency notes" was found on seat number 222, currently assigned to Singhvi, who represents Telangana. The matter is now under investigation.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his agreement with the probe, but criticised the Chair for naming Singhvi while the inquiry was still ongoing. Singhvi himself reacted strongly to the allegation, claiming that it was the first time he had heard of such an incident. He posted on social media that he carries only a Rs 500 note to the Rajya Sabha and provided a blow-by-blow account of his movements on the day in question. He said he had been present in the House for just three minutes before it adjourned and then spent about 30 minutes in the canteen.
My short statement in English to some journalists. pic.twitter.com/k0i4KukJMw — Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) December 6, 2024
Abhishek Manu Singhvi emphasized the need for an inquiry into how the cash ended up on his seat but suggested that the seating arrangement should be modified to prevent similar incidents in the future. He proposed that MPs should have seats that can be locked, with the key remaining in their possession, to avoid such allegations.
The discovery of the money sparked heated debates, with BJP leaders accusing the opposition of political gamesmanship. BJP chief JP Nadda called it an "insult" to the Rajya Sabha's integrity, while Union Minister Sudhanshu Trivedi pointed out the delay in anyone coming forward to claim the money, suggesting it reflected poor handling of such serious matters. Trivedi also alluded to corruption allegations against Congress in his remarks.
- With inputs from agencies
