Poor sleep peacefully while rich upset: PM

“After demonetisation, the poor are enjoying a sound sleep while rich are running from pillar to post to buy sleeping pills,” Modi said as he tried to rally public support in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, picking up from where he left on Sunday in his speeches laced with emotion and aggression in Goa and Belagavi. Stating that he understood the inconvenience being faced by people due to demonetisation, Modi compared his action to a new whitewash which gives out pungent smell, but is necessary. “My decision is a little harsh. When I was young, poor people used to ask for ‘ kadak ’ (strong) tea but it spoils the mood of rich,” he said at BJP’s Parivartan Yatra rally here. 

Particularly stinging in his criticism of Congress which has accused him of causing harassment to the common people, the PM recalled that Congress governments had imposed Emergency, stifling rights of the people and the media, and had banned ‘ chavanni ’ (25 paise coins). “Under which law did they ban ‘chavanni’, it is another thing that they could not move beyond ‘chavanni’, you took the step as per your stature and we did what matched ours,” he said taking a swipe at the opposition party. Invoking Nehru, the Prime Minister said he purposely chose his birth anniversary for the visit here to launch projects. “You (Nehru) are no more, leaders from your party and your family are levelling false allegations, still on your birthday I am starting work to complete your unfulfilled desire for the development of people,” Modi said.

Opposition parties to formulate joint strategy

Congress and seven other opposition parties on Monday met to formulate a joint strategy to corner the govt over various issues including demonetisation that has caused inconvenience to the people. Leaders of TMC, RJD, JD-U, CPI, CPI-M, JMM and YSR Congress met the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and discussed the strategy on how to unitedly take on the government in view of the hardships faced by the common man after the denomination of high-valued notes.

Launching a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday disputed his claim that common people were sleeping peacefully and the rich were searching for sleeping pills, saying that it were only his friends, who were sleeping without any disturbance.

“The Prime Minister has claimed that common people are sleeping peacefully, but the situation is totally different as only his friends are sleeping without any disturbance, while the poor are struggling to deposit/ withdraw their hard-earned money by standing in long queues in front of the banks and ATMs,” the Chief Minister told a press conference here, after chairing a Cabinet session at his residence. Kejriwal also said that an emergency session of Delhi Assembly has been called for Tuesday to discuss  the issues. He said that Modi has forced people to drink “bitter” tea, instead of his “ kadak chai ’’ (strong tea).

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to demonetise high value currency notes as ‘startling and bold’, Chinese official media has said it is ‘far from enough’ and India may ‘look at ideas’ from China’s crackdown against corruption which has shown ‘efficiency’.

Modi in ‘a startling and sudden move’ demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes to “demonstrate that he is truly up for a fiercer fight against black money and corruption”, an op-ed article in the staterun Global Times said. “Modi means well and his decision was made based on the reality in India, since most illegal business in the underground economy is cash-only, and 500 and 1,000 rupee notes constitute over 80 per cent of all cash circulation in India. Nevertheless, we can hardly count on the new rule to fully root out corruption,” the article titled ‘Beijing offers clues for Modi’s new anti-corruption moves’. India’s new policy to scrap high value notes is considered a “risky, but a bold and decisive step”, it said. “And yet, delivering a corruption-free country requires more than banning currency notes. The key is to reform systems. In this regard, New Delhi might need to look for ideas from Beijing,” it said, referring to the massive anti-graft campaign carried out by President Xi Jinping in which over a million officials at different levels were punished. “Corruption can be bred in a variety of ways. Blocking the circulation of large currency bills is without question far from enough,” it said.

With banks struggling to cope with rush to get alternative currency, the govt has extended use of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes for paying household utility bills, fuel, taxes and fees and purchases from co-operative stores till November 24. Earlier, the government had allowed use of the old currency at govt hospitals, railway ticketing, public transport, airline ticketing at airports, milk booths, crematoria/burial grounds and petrol pumps for 72 hours.