'Astonished': Abhishek Manu Singhvi After 'Wad of Notes Found on His Parliament Seat

New Delhi: Congress MP and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday strongly denied allegations regarding cash being found at his allotted seat in the Rajya Sabha. Speaking to reporters, Singhvi dismissed the claims, he said, “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.”

Dhankhar Reveals Cash Recovered from Seat allotted to Singhvi

Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar, addressing the House earlier on Friday, revealed that a wad of Rs 500 currency notes was recovered from seat number 222, allotted to Singhvi. According to Dhankhar, the notes were found on Thursday during a routine anti-sabotage check after the session ended.  

He said, “The wad of notes appears to consist of 100 Rs 500 notes. However, it is not yet confirmed whether the notes are real or fake. An investigation has been ordered as per the standard procedure.”  

Opposition Protests Naming Singhvi, Congress Stands by MP

The announcement led to strong objections from the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge criticised Dhankhar for naming Singhvi before any investigation was concluded. He said it was premature to mention any names without concrete evidence or a proper probe. 

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

What Happened

Dhankhar clarified that the discovery was part of routine security checks conducted in Parliament. Dhankahar said, “It was my duty to inform the House. The investigation will determine further details. Surprisingly, no one has come forward to claim the currency notes.”  

He even joked, “Does it reflect the state of the economy that people can afford to forget Rs 50,000 in cash?”  

Singhvi maintained his innocence, questioning how such claims could surface. The Congress has backed him, with many party leaders calling the incident suspicious and demanding a fair investigation. For now, Singhvi has categorically denied any involvement, calling the incident baseless and an attempt to tarnish his image.