Will people continue to suffer for 50 days, Kejriwal hits back at PM

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to the people to cooperate with him for 50 days in implementing demonitisation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday hit back at him saying "will the common man continue to suffer till then".

Continuing his tirade, Kejriwal said Prime Minister Modi's statement is mocking the people who have been languishing in serpentine queues outside banks and ATMs.

Kejriwal said he received a lot of calls, and there is a sense of panic among people after hearing Prime Minister Modi's speech in Goa.

"I felt sad when I heard the kind of language used by the Prime Minister against people who have been standing in queues. He has mocked the people and must apologise immediately," Kejriwal said, while addressing the media here.

"We demand from the Government to take this issue seriously and come out with a solution to deal with the law and order situation," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal further said if the Prime Minister is serious about tackling the menace of black money, then he must take action against his "corporate friends."

During his speech, Prime Minister Modi turned emotional and said he was voted to power by people to fight corruption and if people feel that he had made a mistake then he was ready to face any punishment.

"I was not born to sit on a chair of high office. Whatever I had, my family, my home...I left it for the nation," Prime Minister Modi said.

"Yes I also feel the pain. These steps taken were not a display of arrogance. I have seen poverty and understand the problems of the people," he added.

Prime Minister Modi said that he was extremely aware of the fact that they may ruin me because their loot of 70 years is in trouble.

"Why do we have to put the future of our youth at stake? Those who want to do politics are free to do so," Prime Minister Modi said after laying the foundation for two major projects here.