Abhishek Singhvi denies allegations of currency notes found at Rajya Sabha seat
New Delhi: Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has refuted allegations of a "wad of currency notes" being found at his designated seat in the Rajya Sabha. Reacting to the claims, Singhvi stated he carries only a single Rs 500 note to the Upper House.
The controversy emerged after Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disclosed on Friday that security staff had discovered currency notes at seat number 222, allocated to Singhvi, following Thursday's session. The revelation led to protests from opposition members, with Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge objecting to the public naming of Singhvi before completing an investigation.
"I request that until the investigation is done and the authenticity of the incident is established, a member should not be named," Kharge said during the session.
In response to the allegations, Singhvi took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his position. "Heard of it first time now. Never heard of it till now! I carry one Rs 500 note when I go to RS. First time heard of it. I reached inside house at 12:57 pm yesterday and house rose at 1 pm; then I sat in canteen till 1:30 pm with Sh Ayodhya Rami Reddy then I left parliament!" he wrote.
Chairman Dhankhar stated that the recovered amount appeared to consist of 100 Rs 500 denomination notes, though their authenticity is yet to be verified. He confirmed that an investigation has been initiated as per protocol and expressed surprise that no one had claimed the money.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju defended the Chairman's decision to reveal the seat number and its occupant. Rijiju also called for a detailed investigation into the matter, noting that carrying currency bundles into the House was inappropriate.
"As per routine protocol, the anti-sabotage team checked the seats to wind up the proceedings. During this procedure, the currency notes were found, and the seat numbers were deciphered. Members also signed that day. The Chairman has rightly pointed out the seat number and the member occupying it. What is wrong with that? Why should there be an objection?" Rijiju questioned.
He further added, "Don't you think that while we are progressing towards digital India, carrying bundles of notes in the House is inappropriate? I fully agree with the Chairman that this matter requires a serious investigation."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
2 Indian nationals part of crew of luxury cruise ship that reported hantavirus outbreak
London (PTI): At least two Indian nationals are part of the crew of the Dutch vessel MV Hondius which reported a hantavirus outbreak with five confirmed cases and three deaths so far, according to the BBC.
The luxury cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey on April 1 from Argentina’s Ushuaia and is expected to arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10.
About 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries were initially aboard the luxury cruise, but dozens disembarked on the island of St Helena on April 24, according to the report.
Of the 28 nationalities onboard, 38 are from the Philippines, 31 from the UK, 23 from the US, 16 from the Netherlands, 14 from Spain, nine from Germany, six from Canada, and two crew members from India, among others, the BBC reported.
ALSO READ: West Bengal board declares class 10 exam results, 86.83 pc students pass
The World Health Organization said on Thursday that five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases had been confirmed.
A 69-year-old Dutch woman, confirmed to have the virus, has died; her Dutch husband and a German woman were also among the fatalities. Their cases are being investigated.
The UN health agency has said the outbreak is not the start of a pandemic.
Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at WHO, told a news briefing that the situation is not the same as six years ago with Covid-19 because hantavirus spreads through “close, intimate contact”.
Van Kerkhove said “this is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently”. She said authorities had asked “everyone to wear a mask” on board the MV Hondius.
Those in contact with or caring for suspected cases, she added, should “wear a higher level of personal protective equipment”.
Hantavirus typically spreads from rodents - but in the latest outbreak the transmission between people was documented for the first time, the WHO said.
Meanwhile, health authorities are racing to trace dozens of people who have recently disembarked from the Dutch vessel MV Hondius.
Oceanwide Expedition said 29 passengers, of at least 12 different nationalities, had left the MV Hondius in St Helena, the British Overseas Territory.
It also said the body of one deceased person—now known to be a Dutch man - was taken off the vessel.
Seven of those who left the cruise liner were British nationals.
