A wad of currency notes discovered on the seat of Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi during a routine anti-sabotage check in the Rajya Sabha has sparked a political uproar. The incident led to heated exchanges, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders demanding an investigation and accusing Congress of evading accountability.
BJP’s Allegations
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi sharply criticized Congress, claiming, “Congress leaders have so much money that they don’t even bother to take account of the money which is left (on the bench in Parliament). Since no leader came to collect the money, it raises doubts on many sources of the money that people know whose money it is but they don’t come to collect it. This incident should be investigated.”
Trivedi further alleged that the incident underscores Congress’s lack of transparency, remarking, “Congress, which used to question everything, is today refusing to give an account of the case recovered from Parliament.”
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari echoed similar sentiments, describing the recovery of the cash as shocking and urging a thorough inquiry. “A bundle of notes has been recovered from the bench. This is a matter of investigation. The Vice President of India has ordered an inquiry into the matter,” he stated.
Adding to the calls for an investigation, BJP MP Ravi Kishan said, “A bundle of notes being recovered from the Parliament is a matter of investigation. This is very shocking.”
Singhvi’s Response
Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi expressed astonishment and dismissed the allegations. He clarified his brief presence in Parliament on the day of the incident.
“I am quite astonished to even hear about it. I never heard of it. I reached the inside of the House yesterday at 12.57 pm. The House rose at 1 pm. From 1 to 1:30 pm, I sat with Ayodhya Prasad in the canteen and had lunch. At 1:30 pm, I left Parliament. So my total stay in the House yesterday was 3 minutes and my stay in the canteen was 30 minutes. I find it bizarre that even on such issues politics is raised. Of course, there must be an inquiry as to how people can come and put anything anywhere in any seat,” Singhvi said.
Investigation Underway
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed the House about the discovery of the cash under seat number 222, allotted to Singhvi. He announced that an investigation has been initiated to uncover the origins of the cash and determine how it ended up under the seat.
The incident has reignited a political war of words, with BJP using it to criticize Congress’s accountability, while Congress has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.