Rajya Sabha cash controversy: Jagdeep Dhankhar says ‘wad of notes’ found from Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s seat, orders probe

Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chairman of Rajya Sabha, informed the House on December 6 about an alleged discovery of a wad of currency notes from a seat currently assigned to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, elected from Telangana. 

The notes were found during a routine anti-sabotage check, he said.  

“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. 

Reacting to the charges, Congress MP and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that he just carries one currency note of Rs 500 to the Parliament, adding that he has heard such a thing for the first time.

"Never heard of it till now. I carry one Rs 500 note when I go to Rajya Sabha. I heard about this for the first time. I reached the House at 12:57 pm and the house rose at 1 pm, then I sat in the canteen till 1:30 pm and then I left the Parliament," said Abhishek Manu Singhvi, as quoted by ANI.

Meanwhile, several Opposition MPs led by the Congress held a protest march inside Parliament complex on the Adani issue, wearing black masks that read “Modi Adani bhai bhai”. 

The protest saw several leaders from some of the INDIA bloc parties marching, holding a copy of the Constitution and raising slogans against industrialist Gautam Adani. 

RJD, JMM and left parties' MPs were among those who joined the protest. 

TMC and Samajwadi Party, which did not participate in demonstration, have so far stayed away from any such denunciation of Adani. The decision has been seen by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a "division" in the opposition bloc. 

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the newly elected MP from Wayanad, were among those present in the march. 

Congress and some other opposition parties have been demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe following the indictment of Adani and other company officials in a US court. Congress has said Adani’s indictment “vindicates” its demand for a JPC probe into the various “scams” involving the billionaire industrialist’s conglomerate. 

The Adani Group has dismissed all allegations as “baseless”.