Cash row in Parliament: Ploy to divert attention?

The Indian Parliament witnessed dramatic developments over the past two days, with the opposition Congress party continuing its protests over the alleged relationship between the Modi government and the Adani Group.

Amidst this ongoing tussle, an unexpected controversy erupted in the Rajya Sabha, as the discovery of ₹50,000 in cash under a Congress leader’s seat created a fresh uproar.

The discovery and Its fallout

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced that a wad of currency notes had been found under seat number 222, assigned to Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, during an anti-sabotage check. While the chairman emphasised the need for a thorough investigation, he admitted uncertainty about whether the notes were genuine or counterfeit.

Also Read: Congress sees a plot in cash row in Upper House

This announcement led to immediate disruptions, with treasury benches demanding answers and opposition members questioning the timing and intent of the revelation. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the premature disclosure, arguing it cast unwarranted aspersions on Singhvi. Singhvi, for his part, categorically denied any connection to the cash and called for a probe.

Diversionary tactic, says Opposition

The BJP seized the opportunity to question the Congress’s integrity, with leaders such as Piyush Goyal and Kiran Rijiju linking the discovery to alleged attempts to destabilise the government. Some BJP members even claimed the incident exposed a conspiracy involving foreign entities.

Also Read: Ruckus in Rajya Sabha over ‘wad of notes’ found at Abhishek Singhvi’s seat

However, opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, dismissed the allegations as a diversionary tactic. They pointed to the government's reluctance to address pressing issues such as the Adani controversy, farmers’ protests, and the ongoing Manipur crisis. Congress leaders suggested the cash row was engineered to derail discussions on these matters.

‘Lowers dignity of office of Vice President’

Political commentators and analysts have raised concerns about the handling of the issue. Senior journalist and political commentator Sharad Gupta criticised the chairman’s decision to name Singhvi before the investigation was concluded.

“This lowers the dignity of the office of the Vice President and creates unnecessary sensationalism,” Gupta said during Capital Beat, The Federal’s flagship program.

Also Read: BJP-RSS 'biggest tukde-tukde gang' of country: Cong slams 'traitor' jibe at Rahul

Puneet Nicholas Yadav, senior editor at The Federal, highlighted the lack of clarity in Dhankhar’s announcement.

“Key details, such as where exactly the money was found or who was seated there throughout the session, remain unanswered. Parliament is fully videographed, so establishing facts should not be difficult,” he observed.

‘Govt cornered on multiple fronts’

The timing of the incident has raised eyebrows. On the same day, Congress MPs staged protests wearing masks with slogans like “Modi-Adani Bhai Bhai,” and farmers clashed with police while marching towards Delhi. Analysts believe the cash controversy could be an attempt to dilute the impact of these protests.

Also Read: BJP's allegations linking Congress to Soros trigger LS disruptions

“The government appears cornered on multiple fronts - rising inflation, the Adani issue, and discontent among farmers. This incident seems designed to dominate headlines and shift focus,” Yadav said.

Manufactured controversy

While the cash discovery has created a stir, its political implications remain unclear. Without concrete evidence, the opposition is likely to dismiss it as a manufactured controversy, while the BJP will continue leveraging it to question Congress’s credibility.

For now, as the session continues, it remains to be seen whether this controversy will die down or escalate into a larger political battle.

Disclaimer: (The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism)