New Delhi. A unique incident came to light amid huge uproar in the winter session of Parliament on Friday, which disrupted the proceedings of the House. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed that the cleaning workers have found a bundle of Rs 500 notes on seat number 222. This seat has been allotted to senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. There was a huge uproar in the House after the bundle of notes was found.
What is the matter?
The Chairman said that the bundle of notes is estimated to contain 100 notes, but it is not clear whether the notes are real or fake. He also said that there should be a thorough investigation into this incident. The Chairman called it “unusual and worrying” and urged the House leaders to seriously discuss it. Congress expressed strong objection to this matter and said that the Chairman should not have publicly disclosed in which seat the notes were found. Congress leaders demanded that there should be a thorough investigation into the matter and it should be found out how and why this bundle reached there.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s statement
Congress leader and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed the allegations as “ridiculous and politically motivated”. He said, “I was present in the House only for three minutes and then walked out of the Parliament House. Such allegations are baseless.” He also clarified on social media that he only has one note of Rs 500. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that this incident should be taken seriously. He said, “In today’s digital age no one carries such a large amount of currency notes. This should be thoroughly investigated.” House leader JP Nadda accused the opposition of saying the matter was an “attempt to divert attention from serious issues”.
#WATCH Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says “…As per the routine protocol, the anti-sabotage team checked the seats just to wind up the proceedings and the house. During that procedure, the note was found and the seat numbers were deciphered and the members also… pic.twitter.com/Ne46xLLGzo
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2024
What does the rule say?
Carrying currency notes in Parliament House is not a violation of any rule. There are access to banks and food shops, so MPs often use cash. However, this matter has made the debate in the House more heated. This is not the first time that the issue of bundle of notes has been raised in Parliament. In 2008, during the UPA government, during the confidence motion on the nuclear deal, BJP MPs waved wads of currency notes in the House. He had alleged that he was given money to buy votes.
What will be the next step?
Chairman Dhankhar has expressed the possibility of investigation. He said that in this case no one has claimed the notes till now, which makes it more suspicious. A heated debate continues on this issue between the opposition and the government.
