End currency spike, jail the corrupt: Kejriwal to Modi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately roll back the spiking of high value currency and jail those with illegal Swiss bank accounts.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also warned of a law and order problem if the massive cash crunch across the country continued.

"If law and order problems crop up, it will become difficult to control the situation, Modiji," an aggressive Kejriwal told the media.

"I urge the Prime Minister to take back his decision" of November 8 to demonetize the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes as it has created huge problems for the ordinary people, he said.

He also took on Modi for saying only hours earlier in Goa that he (Prime Minister) needed just 50 more days to streamline the troubles triggered by the dramatic demonetisation.

"Does this mean that the markets will remain closed for the next 50 days? How can farmers survive? Will people keep standing in queues for 50 days? He is only giving an emotional speech."

Asking the Prime Minister to stop "natakbazi" (drama), the AAP leader told Modi to first jail "his friends" who hold illegal accounts in Swiss banks.

"People expect you to take action against them," he said. "Once you jail the corrupt, corruption will automatically end.

"But first roll back this decision. Give up your pride. You can re-introduce the scheme later with proper planning."

Kejriwal said even Modi admitted in his Goa speech that only a few lakh people were dishonest in a country of 1.25 billion. Then why was the whole country being punished, he asked.

He warned that the national economy was sliding because of the crisis, as evident from the serpentine queues outside all banks and ATMs across the country and the way business had been impacted everywhere.

Calling the demonetisation a "very poorly implemented scheme", Kejriwal said: "Ever since this order has come, there is panic in every household."

The panic, he said, had only increased after Modi's statement in Goa asking people to bear with their problems for 50 more days.

Kejriwal also asked Modi to apologise for saying in Goa that people involved in scams were standing in queues outside banks.

"He has made fun of the common man. He must apologise for that, " the AAP leader said.

Kejriwal added that it was the common man who was suffering standing in long queues for cash withdrawal or to exchange the now worthless 500 and 1,000 rupee notes at banks.

He also warned of an impending crisis as the transport industry had said it was left with no money to pay drivers. "If the transport sector is affected, how will people get basic essentials?"

--IANS

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