A controversy unfolded in the Rajya Sabha on December 5 after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar revealed that a wad of currency notes was discovered during a routine security check in the House. According to Dhankhar, the notes, which appeared to be Rs 500 denominations, were found in seat 222, which is currently allotted to Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
In response to the Chairman’s announcement, Singhvi denied knowledge of the incident. He took to social media, stating, “Heard of it for the first time now. Never heard of it till now. I carry one Rs 500 note when I go to Rajya Sabha. I entered the House at 12:57 pm yesterday, and the House rose at 1 pm. Afterward, I sat in the canteen with Ayodhya Rami Reddy until 1:30 pm, and then left Parliament.”
The incident sparked a ruckus in the House, with the Opposition expressing concerns about Singhvi being named before any investigation was conducted. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, demanded that the investigation be completed before conclusions were drawn. “After investigation, only a conclusion should be arrived at. Before an investigation, the member should not have been named,” Kharge said.
Chairman Dhankhar responded, emphasizing that the authenticity of the currency notes could not be determined immediately, and that an investigation would clarify whether the notes were counterfeit. “An investigation will reveal whether the currency is fake or not,” Dhankhar stated.
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiran Rijiju, called for an inquiry, urging that the investigation be allowed to proceed. “We are only saying an investigation should be done. Why are they opposing it?” Rijiju asked.
Leader of the House, J.P. Nadda, criticized the Opposition for raising concerns about House disruptions only when the Treasury Benches brought up the issue. “Today they are concerned about the Zero Hour,” Nadda remarked, in response to the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the matter. Minister Piyush Goyal added, “How many days did they disrupt the House in the past?”
The controversy over the currency notes has created a significant uproar, with both sides engaging in heated exchanges over the timing and handling of the issue. As the investigation unfolds, questions remain regarding the circumstances of the discovery and its potential implications.
