JOIN USOppn wants Modispeak on currency notes ban
Angry disruptions were witnessed again in Parliament as the second week of the winter session got underway on Monday, with the Opposition insisting Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak up on the currency ban.
As members stormed the Well of the Lower House, an anguished speaker told the Opposition that she would ask the Lok Sabha TV to telecast their protests, “but please do not disturb the minister”.
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar was replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour, even as Opposition members shouted slogans against the Modi government over the hardship caused to citizens following the decision to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from circulation.
“We are not born for TV. We only want to present before you the difficulty faced by the people... We are not running away from a discussion. We want the prime minister to be present in the House to listen to us,” said Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. Modi has stayed away from both Houses of Parliament, barring a brief presence in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The Rajya Sabha also witnessed multiple adjournments, as Opposition members insisted on passing a resolution mourning those who died standing in queues in banks.
“Merits and demerits will come out in a debate... Why are they (Opposition) running away from a debate? It is clear now that the Opposition is not ready for a debate and is coming up with new excuses to disrupt the House,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
The Rajya Sabha had started a discussion last Wednesday after suspending all other business listed for the day.
In a rare show of unity, 10 Opposition parties are planning to launch joint protests outside Parliament on Wednesday against the Centre’s “ill-planned” decision of demonetising high-denomination currency notes.
They are also planning to take out a march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, dates for which are being worked out.