"Habitual abuser" PM Modi must not mock nation in his arrogance: Cong

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaving no stone unturned in attacking the opposition post his government's decision to scrap 500 and 1000 rupee currency notes, the Congress today alleged that the "habitual abuser" must realize that arrogance of power should not surpass the problems faced by people.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala lashed out at the Prime Minister and said that it has become his "character and style" to taunt others.

"The Prime Minister is a habitual abuser himself. We respect the Prime Minister and the office he holds. Whatever abuses he may heap, which he continues to do every day on the leaders of the opposition parties, let him mock the entire country. The Prime Minister mocks the entire nation. The other day, he was sitting in Japan and mocked everybody who was getting married, who were not able to arrange their marriages. Such has become the character and style of this minister," Surjewala said.

"The Prime Minister must realize that arrogance of power should not surpass the problems faced by people. Let the Prime Minister mock leaders of the Congress Party.we don't care. But let him not mock the people of this country which he is doing," he added.

The Congress leader further stated that demonetisation is not an issue of an individual political party but an issue wherein the entire country has been plunged in economic anarchy by a dictatorial and autocratic Prime Minister and his government.

"It is our duty to raise and champion the voice of the people in the most befitting fashion so as to highlight and bring this to the attention of the government, which currently in their arrogance of power and numbers is refusing to listen to the voice of reason and the cry and pain of the ordinary persons of this country," said Surjewala.

"We will join our strength in all such voices irrespective of any ideological differences we may have with individual political parties," he added.

Surjewala said that this decision of demonetisation has proved as an obstacle to 125 crore Indians.

"The people are standing in long queues to take out their own money. The common people are facing a lot of hurdles due to this unplanned move. Prime Minister Modi believes he can do what he wants. But he has forgotten that the nation doesn't work according to his will but with the people's consent," Surjewala told a press conference.

"The people, who are standing in queues outside banks and ATMs, are not thieves and neither do they have black money. Will Prime Minister Modi apologise to all those who have lost their lives due to this economic chaos?" he added.

Surjewala alleged that those not standing in queues outside the banks and ATMs at this time are the BJP's "suited booted friends".

"What's the reason that none of the BJP leaders or ministers is standing in the queue when the entire nation is standing to get their money? Doesn't it indicate who actually possesses black money? The account of the BJP must be made public for six months. If the BJP is innocent then everything will come clean," he added.

Accusing the opposition of attempting to scuttle the fight against corruption, Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day vowed that he would never leave the path of truth and integrity while seeking blessings from the nation for this festival of honesty which he hailed as 'mahayagya'.

"This is 'mahayagya'; this is the festival of honesty. I seek your blessings. After Pandit Nehru passed away, many prime ministers came and went but that committee report is still lost in files. Today on Pandit ji's birthday, I pledge to reopen those files, which his party and family Prime Minister's never did. It's my tribute," he said.

The Prime Minister, who has drawn sharp flak from a united opposition post his decision to scrap 500 and 1,000 rupee currency notes, urged all to support his decision and bless him in his war against black or undeclared money.

He invoked the nation's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 127th birth anniversary to take potshots at the Congress for raising objection to his firm decision.

"Pandit Nehru, your family and party abuse me, but I am here on November 14, your birthday, to complete work left undone from your time," Prime Minister Modi said.

"There are some political parties that are worried over currency ban. Those against me are strong people. But I will not be scared of them. I will not leave the path of truth and integrity. Some people never say anything on your face, but behind your back they poke other people to oppose and go against you," he added while addressing a mega rally in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Surjewala also used the occasion to criticize Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement that recalibration of ATMs will take up to three weeks.

"It's a lame duck excuse that the Finance Minister of this country is giving to the people. You can only fool some people at some time but not all the people at all times," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Jaitley regretted hardships caused due to withdrawal of high denomination notes but advised the public to be patient.

He said it may take up to three weeks for all the ATMs to operate normally as each one has to be calibrated individually to dispense the Rs. 2000 and the Rs. 500 notes besides the Rs. 100 notes.

Stating that the government is constantly monitoring the situation, the Finance Minister also assured that the RBI and other banks have stacked up enough currency to replace Rs. 14 lakh crore worth of Rs. 1000 and 500 notes that have been declared invalid.