Chaos in RS after cash found on Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi’s seat: report
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New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, also the chairman of Rajya Sabha, told MPs that the security officials recovered a wad of currency notes from the seat allotted to the Congress MP, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, news agencies have reported.
The chairman of Rajya Sabha also added that the cash was found during the anti-sabotage search after the adjournment of the House yesterday.
The incident led to chaotic situation in the Rajya Sabha just as Manu Singhvi gave details of his presence in the House the previous day.
‘A wad of currency notes was recovered by the security officials from seat number 222 which is presently allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from the state of Telangana,’ Dhankhar was quoted as saying.
After Dhankhar announced the matter is being probed, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed it but added that the Chair should not have named the MP while probe is underway.
Singhvi claimed that he carries only ₹ 500 to Rajya Sabha, saying: ‘Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one 500 rs note when I go to RS. First time heard of it. I reached inside house at 12:57 pm and house rose at 1 pm then I sat in canteen till 1:30 pm then I left parl (sic)’ .
Singhvi explained that he spent only three minutes in the House yesterday and another 30 minutes at the canteen.
He has called for a thorough investigation and examination of the CCTV footage to get to the bottom of it and also suggested that every House member should be given a lock and key to rule out any security breach, in their absence, IANS reported.
The Congress MP added: ‘Of course, there must be an inquiry. How can people come and put anything anywhere in any seat. 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 about this.’
The incident led to an uproar as the BJP chief JP Nadda, Union minister and a Rajya Sabha member, called the incident an ‘insult’ to the Rajya Sabha's integrity.