Parliament's Winter Session: Political battle lines drawn over demonetization

As political battle lines were drawn over demonetization ahead of the Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked parties to send a strong message from Parliament that they were all against black money and work together to change the perception about politicians.

Walking in towards the fag end of a meeting of leaders of political parties on the eve of the Session, Modi, in a brief address, said the issue of the fallout of unaccounted money on the economy should be discussed in detail in Parliament.

"The Prime Minister reminded the Opposition parties that they were cooperative during the passage of GST act and requested all parties' cooperation both inside and outside the House regarding government's crusade against corruption, black money and fake currency which are affecting the common man," parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar told reporters after the meeting.

While the government has termed demonetization as a battle in the interests of the common man, the Opposition alleged that the common man was facing hardship in its aftermath. However, barring Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, the other parties refrained from demanding roll-back of demonetization of Rs 500/1000 notes. The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, skipped the meeting.

Leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, who made a detailed presentation before the Prime Minister reached, alleged selective leak of information. "It is a big scam, perhaps the biggest. There was selective leak of information, many in the BJP and even others knew about it (demonetization) beforehand. We will raise the issue in Parliament....There should be an inquiry...who should hold the inquiry should be decided," Azad said after the meeting.

He also said some call this an economic surgical strike before the elections aimed at finishing rivals and saving the BJP. While emphasising that the Congress was not opposing the fight against black money, he said the government has failed to bring black money from abroad. "The manner in which the government haphazardly executed the demonetization scheme, the farmers, small traders are bereft of money. The people are struggling to pay for medical expenses," Azad said.

Other Opposition parties also spoke of leaked information, an issue that is likely to create a storm in Parliament. Anticipating that the Opposition was likely to create a furore, the government is worried about the passage of the GST bill. Modi gave all parties for passage of the Constitution Amendment in the last session and cited it as an example of working together. He also said it was time to debate state funding of elections and holding simultaneous elections.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley rejected the charge about selective leakage saying 100 per cent secrecy was maintained ahead of the announcement on demonetization. He also said the government was taking all possible steps to mitigate the inconvenience caused by it and that the latest decision was a part of the larger strategy of government to fight corruption and unaccounted money that started with the Government's decision to set up a Special Investigation Team on unaccounted money right after the assumption of office by the Government. Jaitley said while currency accounts for only four per cent of GDP across the world, it comes to 12 per cent in India and the Government is working for effective currency management.

Sources said the Opposition parties — Congress, Left, TMC, SP, DMK, RJD, IUML, RSP and Kerala Congress —supported demonetization as an effort to fight black money, but resented that the common man was "suffering".

TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay demanded complete roll back.

Ananth Kumar told the parties that the government would be happy to discuss all important issues that the opposition raised within the stipulated mechanisms in Parliament.

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