Row Over Recovery of Currency Notes from Abhishek Singhvi’s Seat, RS Adjourned; Cong MP Seeks Probe into Incident

PTI, NEW DELHI, DEC 6, 2024 :  The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Friday after BJP members created an uproar over the alleged recovery of a wad of currency notes by security staff from the seat allotted to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Inside the House, the issue led to a massive row.

As soon as the House resumed in the afternoon to take up private members' business, BJP members raised slogans demanding answers from the Congress over the recovery of currency notes in the House on Thursday. Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who was in the Chair, tried to pacify the agitated members of the treasury benches, saying this is members' business day and they should sit down and allow the House to function. In the meantime, he asked IUML MP Abdul Wahab to move his resolution listed under his name on the agenda. While Wahab was reading out his resolution, the ruling party members continued raising slogans standing on their feet. When they refused to relent, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the House for the day to meet again on Monday morning.

The currency was recovered from seat number 222, which is allotted to Singhvi. Earlier in the day, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said security staff had recovered a wad of Rs 500 notes from the seat allotted to Singhvi, which led to an uproar in the House with ruling and opposition benches trading allegations and angry words. The Chairman said the wad had Rs 500 notes and there appeared to be 100 notes. An investigation has been ordered in accordance with practice, Dhankhar said, adding that it was not clear if the currency notes were real or fake.

"After adjournment of the House yesterday, a wad of currency notes was apparently recovered by security officials from seat no 222, presently allotted to Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from the state of Telangana," he said. "It was my duty and I am obliged to inform the House. This is a routine anti-sabotage check which takes place," Dhankhar stated. He added that he was expecting someone would claim the currency notes, but no one has so far. "Does it reflect the state of the economy that people can afford to forget it?" he said.

As the controversy spiralled, Singhvi said it was bizarre that politics were being raised on issues such as this and clarified that he carries only one Rs 500 note when he comes to the Rajya Sabha. "I reached inside the House at 12:57 pm yesterday and the House rose at 1 pm; then I sat in the canteen till 1:30 pm with Sh. Ayodhya Rami Reddy, then I left Parliament," the Congress MP said in a post on X.

Singhvi demanded a probe into what he described as a "security lapse." He also suggested that glass enclosures should be made to prevent anyone from planting "ganja" on seats in an MP's absence. Underscoring that indulging in politics on every issue "shows our system in a bad light," the Congress MP said everything in the House should not lead to "cheap tactics," allegations, and counter-allegations which "demean our level."

"Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one Rs 500 note when I go to Rajya Sabha. First time heard of it. I reached inside the House at 12:57 pm and the House rose at 1 pm. Then I sat in the 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 Parliament for 30 minutes. I find it bizarre that even such issues are made political. Of course, there should be an inquiry as to how people can come and put anything anywhere on any seat," Singhvi later told reporters.

The Congress MP said he was quite astonished to even hear about it about five minutes ago. "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 which can be locked and the key can be carried home by the member of Parliament. Because everybody can do things on the seat and then make allegations about it," he 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.