New Delhi, November 15 : Asserting that the government has launched a “crusade” against corruption and black money by demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought opposition’s cooperation while his rivals called the decision ill-prepared and hasty, causing “economic chaos”.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged the decision to invalidate Rs 1000/500 currency notes was leaked in advance to some people, including BJP leaders, and called it probably the “biggest scam”.
He, however, added that his party is not for its rollback.
In his concluding remarks at the all-party meeting on the eve of the Winter Session, Modi spoke in support of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assemblies polls and that there should be state-funding of elections as he asked parties to debate the issue.
The government is willing to discuss all issues and answer the questions raised by the opposition, Modi said, hoping for a fruitful session as he recalled the passage of the GST Bill in the last session with the cooperation of all parties.
“We have launched a crusade against corruption, black money and fake currency, which is also behind cross-border terrorism. All parties should come together on this issue of national interest,” he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar briefed the reporters about Modi’s remarks.
Speaking about simultaneous polls, he said, “A crucial problem is how to make political funding transparent. How to implement state funding of elections. Let all political parties debate it and come to a conclusion. Let’s remove the question mark which exists against those in public life.
“Polls happen separately. Let there be one election, simultaneous elections,” he said, seeking a consensus on the issue.
Opposition set to pin down govt
A Congress-led opposition on Tuesday came together seeking to pin down the government on the demonetisation issue in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning tomorrow but a consensus eluded on TMC’s proposed march to Rashtrapati Bhawan for meeting the President.
The leaders will meet again tomorrow to finalize the strategy on the issue agreeing at the meeting to use “all parliamentary tools including a demand for constituting a joint parliamentary committee to go into the issue and hold the government to account. On its part, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her party will go ahead with its plans to meet the President tomorrow. Representatives of the National Conference and AAP are likely to accompany the TMC delegation.
At a meeting of 13 opposition parties including arch rivals TMC and CPI-M, besides BSP, SP, JD-U and DMK, opposition leaders unanimously concluded that it was too early to visit the President on the issue which must first be raised adequately in parliamentary forums.
Various parties have separately given adjournment notices in Lok Sabha and for suspension of proceedings in Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue and highlight the plight of the common man.
“So far as the march is concerned, there was unanimous decision by everybody that the march tomorrow is too early. As an opposition party, we must have a march in due course of time, but not on the very first day. On first day of Parliament, we must hold a discussion inside the House.
“There was an overwhelming consensus that there is no need to rush to Rashtrapati Bhawan on the very first day before bringing this issue before Parliament,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said after the meeting.
Indelible ink to prevent multiple cash exchanges
The government on Tuesday declared that banks will use indelible ink marks — as is done to prevent bogus voting — to prevent people from making multiple cash exchanges after the demonetisation of high-value currency notes.
The move, which comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise decision to invalidate 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, is also aimed at preventing large queues at banks and stop people from exchanging more than the permissible limit of money.
“The reason for long queues at banks is that the same people keep coming again and again. We have received reports that many people are trying to convert black money into white and have organised groups of people and sending them to exchange money,” Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said.
“To prevent this, indelible ink marks will be made, like in elections, at the bank cash counters,” he added.
Das told the media that the Prime Minister held a second review meeting on demonetisation with officials of the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ascertain why long queues were continuing at banks. Operating instructions will be issued to banks on how to use indelible ink and this process will start in all major cities from Tuesday, he said.
The move to use ink marks came as people across India are struggling to get cash after standing in long queues outside banks and ATMs to exchange or deposit the large currency notes.
