Demonetisation: Congress, TMC, 6 others demand PM Modi's resignation

Eight opposition parties on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss a Common Minimum Agenda

Eight opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss a Common Minimum Agenda and also the demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation on kickbacks charge.

Two more meetings on the lines of one held before the joint press conference of these parties will be held in January for further discussion on the Common Minimum Agenda, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said after the press briefing held at the Constitution Club here.

Other parties that attended were the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the DMK, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Janata Dal-Secular, Indian Union Muslim League and All India United Democratic Front.

"The Common Minimum Agenda will be finalised in due course of time. This was discussed in the (Tuesday) meeting and also the Prime Minister's resignation. It was decided that it will be raised in the press briefing," said a leader who attended the meeting.

Addresing the press briefing, Banerjee asked whether the Prime Minister will resign if the cash crunch situation doesn't normalise in the next three days, that is, by December 30, the deadline fixed by Modi for the situation to normalise following the November 8 demonetisation.

"The Common Minimum Agenda that we spoke about -- there will be a meeting on this matter. How we organise the programme, there should be consultations with all political parties. We must take everyone into confidence," Banerjee said.

"Some are busy with elections; some are busy with internal party programmes. But we are all together. There is no problem. But, they have their own system, their policy decisions; we cannot interfere in their business," she added.

The Chief Minister said: "On demonetisation, all political parties have expressed their views and we are together. One may differ with me. That is their political policy. Sometimes for bigger interest, we can work out these things."

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said: "We are not like the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, where every single person has to say the same thing. So, what we are designing is a broad agreement for this Common Minimum Programme or a series of things that we agree on."