Wad of cash on Congress MP's seat sparks new clash

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha was rocked by an unusual scenario on Friday when Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced that a wad of currency notes were found by the anti-sabotage team of Parliament on the seat allotted to Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi. While the Opposition emphasised that till the matter is probed the member should not be named, the Treasury Benches described the incident as "extraordinary" and an attack on the dignity of the House.

Minutes after the House assembled for the day, Dhankhar said, "I hereby inform that during the routine anti-sabotage check of the chamber after the adjournment of the House yesterday (Thursday), apparently a wad of currency notes was recovered by the security officials from seat number 222, presently allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from Telangana.... The matter was brought to my notice... It is my duty to ensure that investigation takes place according to norms and the same is underway."

Singhvi was not present in the House when the matter came up but reacted to it later. He had visited Parliament on Thursday.


The Opposition benches objected to the naming of the member and suggested that the House begin Zero Hour.

"Till you verify the authenticity of the incident and the investigation is complete you should not name the member," Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge told Dhankhar.

This led the Treasury benches to defend Dhankhar and question the Opposition on this issue.

" This is an attack on the dignity of the House and puts a question mark on the conduct of a member.. It is not fair that the Opposition shows aggression on some issues and tries to cover up some," union minister and BJP Chief JP Nadda said.

Reacting to the incident, Singhvi told the press: "I am quite astonished to even hear about it... I reached the inside of the House at 12:57 pm, the House was till 1 PM. I sat in the canteen 'Sangam' till 1:30 pm. My total stay in the House was 3 minutes...I find it bizarre that even on such issues politics is raked."