Cong accuses govt. of indulging in 'drama' post demonetization

The Congress Party on Monday alleged that the BJP-led NDA regime was indulging in drama post the move to ban high currency notes and said that the opposition was doing its duty in the Parliament by voicing the sentiments of the people across the country.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury hit out at the government over Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's assertion that the opposition was only interested in disrupting the parliamentary proceedings and were not interested in a debate.

"We are not doing any disruption in the Parliament, just voicing the sentiments of the people across the country. We are just doing our duty," Chowdhury said.

"This government has collapsed as even allies of the present regime distanced themselves. The Centre is indulging in drama but they can't do it in the Parliament," she added.

Angry disruptions were witnessed in the Parliament today with the opposition insisting that the Prime Minister must speak in the Rajya Sabha on the ban on Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes.

The ruling dispensation has said that Prime Minister Modi will not contribute in the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority.

The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said that he is ready to explain the government's stand, but the opposition is preventing that because it wants to stall Parliament rather than engage in discussion.

"The opposition is running away from a debate," he said.

In the Lok Sabha, the Congress and some other opposition parties insisted on a discussion on demonetisation under Rule 56, which entails voting and through an adjournment motion that implies suspension of all other business.

Prime Minister Modi has said that the ban on high value currency notes is not to agonise anyone but to clean the economy.

Speaking on demonetisation after launching the Pradhanmantri Grameen Awas Yojna, an ambitious housing scheme meant for the rural poor, in Agra yesterday, the Prime Minister said more than five lakh crore cash has been deposited in banks since last ten days.

He thanked the people for bearing the pain of high value note ban.

Prime Minister Modi said his decision to demonetise high value currency notes is punishment for those who has accumulated huge black money.