Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says cash ban is to cover up govt's failure to deliver its poll promise to bring back black money
As Opposition prepares to observe Aakrosh Diwas — a day of anger — to protest against demonetization, first fractures came up, with the Janata Dal (United) disassociating and coming out in open to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'courageous move'. The government also described the PM's move a 'cultural revolution' against the 55-year-old eight fold decadent culture of corruption. The main Opposition Congress said it would go ahead with the protests bringing together all other Opposition parties. Party leader and spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said claimed that Rs1,000 and Rs 500 notes were scrapped to cover up the government's failure to deliver on the Prime Minister's big electoral promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad.
He said people who have amassed wealth by illegal means are not suffering, but those who do not have black money are facing hardships. He also clarified that they had not called 'Bharat Bandh', which would have added to miseries of people, but will observe day of angst, by holding protests across the country.
Taking a swipe at the Modi government, he said economic activity has anyway come to a standstill since November 9. Asked what will be the Opposition's strategy in Parliament, Ramesh said a debate will happen if the Prime Minister participates in it. The Congress leader also questioned government's preparedness to bring in new currency notes, saying that according to estimates, it may take up to 250 days to print new notes and bring economy back on the track. He also criticised the Prime Minister's call for a "cashless" or "less cash" society, saying that in India, a majority of people use cash for daily transactions." "Such things take time and cannot be forced by giving shocks," Ramesh said.
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu hit back at the Opposition for their planned protests. He asked the Opposition parties to allow resumption of proceedings in Parliament and discuss threadbare the issue of demonetization over which people have 'clearly demonstrated' that they were willing to bear short-term pains for long-term gains. He said Congress was cut off from the pulse of the people and they will pay even more heavily for their folly of such false demonstration. He said Congress was clearly rattled by eight transformational results that will forever bury the eight-fold "inimical" culture of Congress.
"This is the clear reason for it being angry. Knowing the popular support to demonetization, Congress has changed its tactics from calling for a country wide bandh to akrosh rallies." He said in order to find some space in media, Congress is raising the issue. Congress, he alleged, desperately tried to disrupt proceedings of Parliament for more than a week on some pretext or the other just to buy time to get support of a few other parties in "their desperate attempt for a photo opportunity".
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