Cash found from Parliament seat allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, probe ordered
NEW DELHI, DEC 6 : Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said cash was recovered by Parliament security officials from the seat allotted to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The claim by Dhankhar on the floor of the House led to protests by Congress MPs, with Mallikarjun Kharge stressing that names should not be taken before an investigation.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, however, denied the charges. “I just carry a Rs 500 note when I go to the Rajya Sabha. I heard about this for the first time. I reached the House at 12.57 pm and the House rose at 1 pm. Then, I sat in the canteen till 1.30 pm with Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad and left Parliament,” the senior advocate said.
However, Singhvi welcomed the probe into the incident. “It means that each of us must have a seat where the seat itself can be locked, and the key can be carried home by the MP, because everybody can then do things on the seat and make allegations like this,” he said.
Addressing the Rajya Sabha as soon as the proceedings began, Dhankhar said the wad of notes was recovered during routine checks by security officials.
“During a routine check yesterday after adjournment of the House, a wad of currency notes was recovered by security officials from seat no 222 presently alloted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi. An investigation will take place in accordance with law,” the Rajya Sabha chairperson said.
The remark saw an irate Mallikarjun Kharge quickly get up on his feet. “You said that this matter is under investigation. Until it is authenticated, his name should not be mentioned,” the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, said there was nothing wrong in pointing out the seat number and the name of the MP. “What is wrong with that? Carrying a bundle of notes in Parliament is appropriate? There should be a proper investigation,” he said.
BJP chief and Union Health Minister JP Nadda also echoed the demand. “This is a very serious incident. This is an attack on the dignity of the House,” he said.
The incident quickly turned into another flashpoint between the government and the opposition. “Disgusting to see how the BJP continues to disrupt the House. What scares the BJP MPs to a point of not wanting to run Parliament? The ministers continue to be the protectors of one industrialist. Are people’s issues so irrelevant?” Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said.
-PTI
