Congress MP and Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday expressed astonishment over a wad of cash found from his seat in Rajya Sabha.
Speaking to ANI, Singhvi clarified that he stayed in the house for three minutes on Thursday and called politics over this issue as “bizarre.”
“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,” Singhvi said.
He welcomed the probe ordered Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar, adding that if there is a failing in the security agencies that must also be completely exposed.
“Of course there must be an inquiry as to how people can 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. If it was not tragic and serious it would be comical. I think everybody should cooperate in getting to the bottom of this and if there is a failing in the security agencies that must also be completely exposed,” Singhvi said.
Earlier in the day, Jagdeep Dhankhar informed the house that a wad of cash was found on a seat belonging to Congress leader by secruity officials.
“I hereby inform the members that during the routine anti-sabotage check of the chamber after the adjournment of the House yesterday. Apparently, 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..The matter was brought to my notice, and I made sure an investigation takes place and the same is underway,” Dhankhar said.
Inside the house, Congress President and LoP In the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge responded to Chairman Dhankhar saying that the Chair should not have named the MP if the matter was under investigation.
“I am not going beyond that, I know that you will not allow us. You said that this matter is under investigation then his/her name should not have been taken. I request that until the investigation is done and the authenticity of the incident is established, a member should not be named. Can he do like this? Aaisa chillar kaam krti hai aur deshj ko of barbaad kr rahe hai yeh log (BJP),” Kharge said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that no one carries note bundles in the house.
The first session of the winter Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The winter session will go on till December 20.