Modi not to talk in Rajya Sabha on demonetisation

New Delhi/ Kolkata/ Mumbai: In a rare show of unity, 10 major Opposition parties on Monday came together and resolved to corner the government on demonetisation within and outside Parliament.

Finding a common ground on demonetisation which has caused hardship to people, leaders of the Congress, Trinamul, JD(U), BSP, CPM, CPI, NCP, RJD, JMM and the DMK held a meeting in the national capital in the morning to forge a common plan of action with an aim of mounting an attack on the government.

The Congress has led the Opposition in the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must speak in the Rajya Sabha on the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

However, the government had made it clear that Mr Modi will not speak in the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority, and that finance minister Arun Jaitley will answer their questions. “Merits and demerits will come out in a debate... Why are they (Opposition parties) running away from a debate?,”’ Mr Jaitley said.

Cash being given to a select Few: Rahul Gandhi
“This is clear now that the Opposition is not ready for debate and is coming up with new excuses to disrupt the House,” Mr Jaitley added amid slogan shouting by Opposition members who were in the well of the House.

Leaders of the 10 parties decided that their MPs will stage a sit-in near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the Parliament complex on Wednesday. This will be followed by a march to Rashtrapati Bhawan, date for which is being worked out, the sources said.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who visited several ATMs in the morning and interacted with people, claimed he was told that cash was being taken out surreptitiously from the back door in the banks for a few “selected people” while there were long queues of common people waiting outside for hours.

“They said they are in the queue and deals are being made and cash is taken out from back door. And some selected people are given that cash. Those who are rich getting that and those who are poor they are made to stand in the queue.

“They will be in the queue for three days and then they will leave. People are facing losses because of this,” he said.