Oppn finding ways to avoid debate on note ban in RS, not Modi: Govt

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Rajya Sabha session on Thursday following repeated demands of the Opposition that he be present for the debate on the issue of demonetisation. He however did not turn up in the House after a brief lunch break, leading to a ruckus by Opposition leaders.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Upper House that Modi would attend the debate but cannot be expected to sit through the entire discussion.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had opened the debate on demonetisation and said the move will hurt the informal sector and lead to a decline in GDP.

Watch Manmohan Singh's full speech in Rajya Sabha on demonetisation

Following are updates from Parliament:

• Hitting out at Modi after the adjournment, CPI leader Sitaram Yechury said that the Opposition had moved a motion of contempt against the PM for not showing up in the House. He claimed that 4 lakh people had lost their jobs as a result of demonetisation and that 31.9 million people employed in textile and govt sectors are not getting their wages.

• Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for the day, will resume on Friday at 11 am, after the Opposition continued to protest against the absence of the Prime Minister in the Upper House.

• Congress leader Anand Sharma pointed out to the BJP that when they were in Opposition, they had demanded that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sit through the entire debate on 2G scam. “Why the double-speak now?,” Anand asked.

• BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accuses Opposition of finding excuses to stall the Parliament.

• Rajya Sabha resumed at 3 pm and the speaker requested the Opposition to start the debate as the leader of the House assured that the Prime Minister will attend the discussion.

• Opposition leaders started chanting slogans like "Where is PM" in Rajya Sabha, the ensuing chaos forced the speaker to adjourn the House till 3 pm.

• "Opposition is devising ways to avoid the debate, these actions just prove it. Which Prime Minister has sat through an entire debate? It has never happened," Jaitley said.

• Arun Jaitley hit out at Ghulam Nabi Azad and said that the Prime Minister would be joining the debate on note ban but he cannot be expected to sit through the discussion for 'fifteen hours'.

• Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the speaker if Modi would be joining the debate, if not, he said they would not let the House function.

• "I had requested the honourable PM to be present in the House to listen to what the Opposition had to say on the issue of demonetisation which has affected whole nation but it is very sad that the PM is not in the House now," BSP chief Mayawati said.

• Rajya Sabha resumed at 2 pm after a brief lunch break, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not come back to attend the session, leading to protests and sloganeering by Opposition leaders.

• "Only 2% people hold black money, then why other 98% people are suffering due to demonetizaton," asked TMC's Derek O’Brien.

• “We are opposing you because we believe the people are suffering, we are opposing you because the economy will be killed,” TMC leader Derek O’Brien told Modi in Rajya Sabha.

• "I hope that PM will help us find practical ways to give relief to people suffering. Monumental mismanagement has been undertaken in implementation of demonetisation," Manmohan Singh said.

• “I want to ask PM that can he name any country where people have deposited their money but are not able to withdraw it. PM said wait for 50 days but for the poor section even 50 days can be detrimental,” Manmohan Singh said.

• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began the debate in Rajya Sabha and urged Modi to rethink the decision to demonetise Rs 500, 1000 notes in order to 'relieve' the pain faced by the common man.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the Rajya Sabha when the session resumed at 12 pm. Arun Jaitley asked the Opposition to not cause any further delay and begin the debate on note ban.

• "Whenever a big decision is taken by the government, where the whole nation is affected, the honourable Prime Minister explains the move by taking the Parliament into confidence, but this is the first time that the PM is not explaining his decision," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

• Following continued ruckus, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm.

• On demands of the Opposition that Modi attend the session, Rajya Sabha speaker P J Kurien asked leaders to ask questions to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as the issue of demonetisation fell under his domain.

• "PM should come in the house and participate in the debate. Why is he running away?" asked BSP Chief Mayawati in Rajya Sabha.

• "There is financial chaos after the decision taken by PM Modi, opposition is right in asking PM to explain and clarify," said Congress leader Anand Sharma.

• Congress leader Anand Sharma told the Rajya Sabha that Congress members have already moved the breach of privileged motion against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  "Oppn is very clear that PM has to come, If PM is running away from the debate then what is the point of meeting Home Minister," Sharma said.

• Ruckus breaks out in the house over demonetisation even as Speaker gives permission to Manmohan Singh to speak.

• "If it is on demonetisation issue, let opposition resume the debate and Dr Manmohan Singh speak," Arun Jaitley said in Rajya Sabha after Congress indicated Singh wanted to address the House.

• Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said  ex prime Minister Manmohan Singh would like to speak something in the House.

Top BJP leaders held a meeting at Rajnath Singh's chamber in Parliament on Thursday as the government attempts to find a truce with a united opposition just before the session began. Another round of meeting was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chamber who was expected to attend the Rajya Sabha.

Since the first day of the ongoing Winter Session, the opposition leaders have been demanding that the Prime Minister speak on the issue.

Even though most of them support the government's move on fight against black money, they are protesting against the way it was implemented as even after third week of the announcement on November 8, long queues can be seen outside ATMs and banks, with people looking to either exchange or deposit old notes.

Rejecting the demand of opposition parties to roll back the decision on demonetisation, Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu yesterday said the nation has supported the government's step to unearth black money and added that the decision has been taken keeping in view of the welfare of the farmers and the marginalised sections of society.