'Ploy to distract attention from Adani issue', says Congress on currency notes found in Abhishek Manu Singhvi's RS seat

The Congress party sources on Friday believed that currency notes recovered from the bench of party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi was a "ploy to distract attention" from the Adani issue.

"If somebody is carrying Rs 50,000 in the pocket is not a crime. Congress leaders have met with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhakhar and have requested to conduct an investigation into the matter by any agency or even form a JPC in it," the party sources said.

Earlier today, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed the house that a wad of cash was found on a seat alloted to Singhvi by security 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.

In response to the Rajya Sabha Chairman's statement, Singhvi said that he was "astonished" to hear about it adding that if there is a failing in the security agencies that must also be completely exposed

"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. 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 told ANI.

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 desh ko of barbaad kr rahe hai yeh log (BJP)," Kharge said.

The first session of the Winter Session of Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses getting adjourned fairly early due to disruptions. The Winter Session is scheduled to run till December 20.

Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI.