Ready to debate in Parliament but Opposition gagging me, says Modi

Oppn is adamant on its demand of PM's presence in the House during debate and his reply on the issue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at the Opposition for disrupting Parliament and not letting him speak on the issue of demonetisation.

"Parliament is not being allowed to function. The government has always said we are ready to debate. I am not being allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha so I am speaking in the Jan Sabha," Modi said while addressing people of Dessa in Gujarat.

The Prime Minister has come under fire over his silence on the issue in Parliament. The Opposition is adamant on its demand of the Prime Minister's presence in the House during debate and his reply on the issue. With both sides refusing to bow down, the Winter Session of Parliament is heading for a complete washout.

Urging the Opposition to also promote the use of cashless and digital economy, Modi said, "Yes, during elections we have a lot of heated debates. But we all call for increased voter turnout. Likewise, yes, you can oppose me but do teach people about banking, using technology for financial transactions."

Modi has been promoting the use of digital economy and has asked all the Bhartiya Janata Party MPs to spread awareness about it in a similar manner they do so about EVMs and voters-list during elections.

"Merely talking about the poor is different from working for the poor, something that the NDA government is always doing. Had asked for 50 days. You will see how things will change. This is a major step to rid the nation from corruption," Modi said.

On November 8, Modi in his televised addressed disclosed that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes were being turned into "pieces of worthless paper". The move was aimed at ending corruption and counterfeiting, but as the month progressed, the narrative seemed to have meandered towards the government's other goals – war against terror, digitisation and cashless economy, among other things.

"We took the decision on currency notes to strengthen the hands of the poor of the nation. With our step on currency notes, we have been successful in weakening the hands of terrorists, those in fake currency rackets," Modi claimed.