Demonetisation: United opposition to take on govt in Par, outside

In a rare show of unity, ten major opposition parties today came together and resolved to corner the government on demonetisation within and outside Parliament even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged banks were giving cash to a few "through the back door" while the poor were made to stand in queues.

Finding a common ground on demonetisation which has caused hardship to people, leaders of Congress, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), BSP, CPI(M), CPI, NCP, RJD, JMM and DMK held a meeting in the national capital this morning to forge a common plan of action with an aim of mounting attack on the government.

Leaders of these parties will hold such strategy sessions every morning before Parliament assembles during the ongoing Winter session, sources said.

It was decided that MPs of these 10 parties will stage a sit-in near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament complex on Wednesday. This will be followed by a march to Rashtrapati Bhawan, date for which is being worked out, the sources said.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who visited several ATMs this morning and interacted with people, claimed he was told that cash was being taken out surreptitiously from the back door in the banks for a few "selected people" while there were long queues of common people waiting outside for hours.

"They said they are in the queue and deals are being made and cash is taken out from back door. And some selected people are given that cash. Those who are rich getting that and those who are poor they are made to stand in the queue.

"They will be in the queue for three days and then they will leave (without cash). People are facing losses because of this," he said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that the country will come out like gold after this exercise, the Congress leader said, "I feel the coffers of the PM's own 15 or 20 people's will be filled up and their loans will be waived. Poor people, those who are in the queue, will only suffer losses."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged the Prime Minister was threatening parties raising voice against demonetisation and said she will hit the Delhi streets tomorrow to protest against the government action.

"The Prime Minister is threatening other parties who are raising their voice against demonetisation. PM should be sober. PM should behave like a PM. If necessary, he should convene an all-party meeting on the issue," Banerjee told a press conference in Kolkata.

"There is no ego fight. There should be a plan of action on demonetisation. My humble submission is that let us work together to solve the issue. The people are suffering," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

BJP hit back at Banjerjee, accusing her of spreading "canards" about demonetisation and asked her to come clean on the charge that her party received huge funds from a fictitious company before 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

"Mamata Banerjee resembles the comic character of 'Betal'. She keeps on blabbering lies, false statements and canards. She should stop spreading those lies. She is questioning the Prime Minister, but what is her credibility?" BJP general secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said.

"She had arrested a professor for circulating cartoons and a farmer for seeking a clarification regarding crops. She had asked the police administration to harass a college student for questioning her. She should not make those statements," Siddharth Nath Singh said.

Prime Minister Modi had told a rally in Agra yesterday said that political leaders behind multi-crore chit fund scams were attacking him because they had been hit hard by demonetisation, indirectly referring to Mamata Banerjee.

"She is yet to answer our queries about the involvement of her party leaders in Narada and Saradha scam. I would like to ask her what is the basis of the huge donation that her party had received from a fictitious company. From where did this black money come?" Singh said.

Mamata Banerjee said besides Delhi she will go to Lucknow and places in Bihar and Punjab to protest against demonetisation.

"This is not a political issue. We are speaking on behalf of commoners. Markets are closed. Small traders are hit," she said, adding "I have no personal interest. I am doing this for the sake of the people of the country."

Centre's demonetisation move is a plan which even the country's worst enemies would not be able to better, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged as he targeted the Modi dispensation over withdrawal of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.

He said the recovery of unpaid bank loans from corporates should have been the government's priority instead of demonetisation, which has "hurt only the poor".

"Even if our worst enemies wanted to hurt rural India, after two drought years, they couldn't have made a better plan #DemonetisationDisaster.

"Recovering unpaid bank loans from rich corporates should have been govt's priority instead of #Demonetisation which has hurt only the poor," Yechury said on Twitter.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal exhorted people to "change PM, not notes".

Kejriwal continued to target Modi over the issue, asking the latter to come clear on his "relations" with a mobile wallet company, claiming its business has seen an "upswing" since demonetisation.

"Note nahi, PM Badlo (Change PM, not note)," the Chief Minister, who is touring poll-bound Punjab, tweeted.

In another tweet, he urged Modi to either waive loans of farmers or deposit Rs 10,000 in each Jan Dhan account using the money deposited by people in banks since November 10, the day banking operations resumed post demonetisation.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the demonetisation decision, saying those opposing Modi were harming the country and that people should come together to "win this decisive battle against black money".

"We are going towards a new economic independence. In this battle for economic independence, the person who stands with Modi ji for the next 50 days will become a soldier in this battle and the one who does not stand with the PM will be against this country," Fadnavis said.

"Now, you have to decide whether you want to become a soldier in the battle for economic freedom or whether you want to become a 'desh virodhak' (those against the country)," he said addressing a campaign rally for municipal polls in Ratnagiri.