Congress revokes suspension of its three Jharkhand MLAs caught in Bengal with huge amount of cash

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India] July 28 (ANI): The Congress party on Friday revoked the suspension of three of its Jharkhand MLAs, Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari, who were held by the police last year while travelling with an SUV with a "mountain of cash".
Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said, "We had recommended the matter of suspension of all three MLAs - Dr Irfan Ansari, Naman Bixal Kongari and Rajesh Kachhap - to the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge. He gave his consent to revoke their suspension."
"Avinash Pande's (Congress party's Jharkhand incharge) directive has come for the suspensions to be revoked and today it has been implemented...", Thakur added.
It was alleged that the Congress MLAs were joining hands with the BJP and trying to destabilize the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress coalition government in Jharkhand. 
The Congress party had earlier last year suspended three MLAs, who were held with a huge amount of cash in West Bengal on Saturday, with immediate effect.
Addressing a press conference, the general secretary and party in-charge of Jharkhand Congress, Avinash Pande had said, "The three MLAs, who were held with a mountain of cash, have been suspended from the party with immediate effect."
The matter had also reached to Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato. Congress Legislature Party leader Alamgir Alam had then filed a complaint to the Speaker.
The three MLAs, Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari were travelling in an SUV on National Highway-16 at Ranihati in Bengal when the police intercepted their vehicle.
The relatives of Congress MLA Irfan Ansari rebutted allegations that BJP is trying to destabilize the JMM-Cong coalition government in Jharkhand, making the statement, "the government cannot be brought down with just a meagre sum of Rs 40-50 lakh."
Ansari's relatives also said that he was in Howrah to "do shopping, especially of sarees" ahead of the upcoming festive season and thus, was carrying a huge chunk of cash.
The SUV in which MLAs Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari were travelling was intercepted on National Highway-16 at Ranihati in the Panchla police station area.
"We got a specific input on the basis of which we stopped the car. Three MLAs from Jharkhand were in the car and we found a lot of cash inside. We had to ask for a counting machine because of the volume of cash. We will be able to tell how much cash was recovered only after full counting is done," SP Rural Howrah Swati Bhangalia had said during the incident.
During the incident, Mohammad Azharuddin, MLA Irfan Ansari's relative had said, "He (Ansari) comes here (Howrah) every year to buy various items like sarees ahead of the festive season, especially for Durga Puja celebrations that will take place in September."
"All the MLAs are good friends. They like travelling together and hence they had about Rs 40-50 lakhs of cash in their car. Rs 40-50 lakhs will not be enough to bring a government down from power," he added.
Imran Ansari, MLA Irfan Ansari's brother, said, "News channels are claiming crores of cash has been recovered from the vehicle. My brother came here to do shopping, especially of sarees. Adivasis Diwas, Durga Puja diwas ke liye shopping karne aaye the. (We came here to do shopping for Adivasis Diwas, Durga Puja). At this time, it will be cheaper to buy sarees as it is not the peak of the festive season." (ANI)