The assertion triggered an uproar from the Opposition benches, with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge saying the Chairman should not have named the member without the investigation being completed.
Dhankhar said, "After the adjournment of the House yesterday, a wad of currency notes was recovered by security officials from seat no 222 presently allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from the state of Telangana". He said as per practice, an investigation has been ordered. The Chairman said the wad is of Rs. 500 notes and appears to have 100 notes.
He also said it was not clear if the currency notes were real or fake."It was my duty and I'm obliged to inform the House. This is a routine anti-sabotage check which takes place," he said. Dhankhar added that he was expecting someone would claim the currency notes, but no one has claimed it so far. "Does it reflect the state of the economy that people can afford to forget it," he said.
The uproar was witnessed from both treasury and opposition benches over the issue. "Why should there be an objection to the name being taken? Chairman has pointed out seat number and member who occupies that, what is the problem with that," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said. He said carrying bundles of notes in the House is not appropriate, adding that he agrees there should be a serious investigation. Dhankhar added that the step taken by him was 'minimal'.
Singhvi demands probe
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi on Friday termed as "bizarre" the "recovery" of cash from his seat in the Rajya Sabha and demanded a probe into the matter.
Soon after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced that a wad of currency notes was recovered from Singhvi's seat on Thursday, the Congress MP said he only carries one Rs 500 currency note when inside Parliament.
"Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one 500 Rs note when I go to Rajya Sabha. 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 Parliament," Singh said in a post on X soon after the charges cropped up.
"My total stay in the house yesterday was for three minutes and in the Parliament for 30 minutes. I find it bizarre that even on such issues politics is raised. Of course there should be an enquiry as to how people can come and put anything anywhere on any seat," Singhvi later told reporters.
He said he was quite astonished to even hear about it about five minutes ago. " I never heard of it. I reached inside of the House yesterday at 12. 57 PM. The House rose at 1 PM. From 1 to 1.30 I sat with Ayodhya Prasad in the canteen and had lunch. At 1.30 I left Parliament. My total stay in the house yesterday was for three minutes and in the Parliament for 30 minutes.
"I find it bizarre that even on such issues politics is raised. Of course there should be an inquiry as to how people can come and put anything anywhere on any seat. It means that each one must have a seat where the seat itself can be locked and the key can be carried home by the member of Parliament. Because everybody can then do things on the seat and then make allegations about it," the Congress MP said.
"If it was not tragic and serious it would be comic . Everyone should cooperate to get to the bottom of this. And, if there is a failing on the part of security agencies, that must also be completely exposed," Singhvi said.
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