There was a commotion in the Rajya Sabha this morning when a bundle of cash was found on the seat allotted to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Singhvi gave details of the time he spent in the House the previous day.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, told MPs that security officials found the cash during an anti-sabotage check after the House adjourned yesterday.
Mr Dhankhar said security officials recovered a bundle of notes from seat number 222, which is currently allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from Telangana state. He said the matter was being investigated.
“First time hearing about it. Had not heard about it till now! I keep a Rs 500 note with me whenever I go to the Rajya Sabha. First time hearing about it. I reached inside the House at 12:57 pm and the House proceedings began at 1 pm,” Singhvi said in an online post.
Then I sat in the canteen till 1.30 pm and then left Parliament.” He said he spent a total of three minutes in the House yesterday and 30 minutes in the canteen. He said it was “bizarre” to do politics over such issues. “Of course, this should be investigated. How can people come and put anything anywhere, on any seat.
This means that each one of us should have a seat where the seat can be locked by itself and the key can be taken by the MP with himself, because then everyone can sit on the seat and do anything and make allegations about it,” the MP said.
The matter created a ruckus in both the ruling and the opposition, with BJP chief JP Nadda, Union minister and Rajya Sabha member calling it an insult to the integrity of the Rajya Sabha.
BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Chairman was waiting for someone to claim the money, but when no one raised the issue, he put the matter on the table of the House.
“Instead of making a claim or giving an explanation, they have started protesting. This means they have so much money that they do not care how many notes are left here and there.